A Tasty Pastrmajlija Recipe For The Perfect Oval Pizza!
If you want to try a delicious and hearty dish from the Balkans, you should make Pastrmajlija – also known as North Macedonian Pizza.
It is made with a yeast dough similar to Italian pizza, but often has an oval boat-like shape and is usually topped only with meat and eggs, without any cheese or tomato sauce.
This recipe uses cut pork chops that are marinated in olive oil and spices. The result is a savory and tender pizza-like dish that is perfect when you’re looking for a filling comfort dish.
Ingredients
If you want to try this North Macedonian pizza recipe, here are the ingredients that you will need. It’s basically just a yeast dough with some toppings, so not too hard at all!
- All-purpose flour – Unbleached. To make the pizza dough.
- Instant yeast – Make sure the yeast hasn’t expired. Alternatively, you can also use active dry yeast.
- Granulated sugar – To make the pizza dough and activate the yeast.
- Salt – To enhance the overall flavor of the dough and to season the meat.
- Olive oil – Adds moisture and flavor to the dough, plus a small amount to season the meat.
- Lukewarm water – To make the dough; the water should be neither hot nor cold.
- Eggs – One for the dough, 2-4 for the topping.
- Pork Chops – Boneless pork chops or pork tenderloin, cut into small cubes. Alternatively, you can use chicken or turkey breast.
- Paprika – To season the meat.
- Chili flakes – To season the meat; adjust the amount to taste.
- Black pepper – To season the meat.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Before you make this oval-shaped pizza, have a quick read through these recipe tips. Since it’s made with yeast dough, there are a few things to keep in mind.
- For a leaner meat option, you can use chicken or turkey breast.
- Since you are using yeast, it’s important that the water is warm, but not hot, as this could harm the yeast bacteria.
- If you don’t have instant yeast, you can use active dry yeast instead. However, you will need to dissolve it in some warm water with a bit of sugar first and let it sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
- The dough should be elastic and slightly sticky, but not wet. You can add a little more flour (if it’s too wet) or a bit more water (if it’s too dry).
- The rising time for the dough can vary depending on how warm it is in your home – one hour is a guideline, but it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- Don’t cut the meat into overly big pieces or they may not cook completely in the oven.
- If you don’t like the egg yolk too runny, you can leave the pizzas in the oven for a couple of extra minutes.
How to Make Pastrmajlija – Step by Step Instructions
In this section, we’ll show you exactly how to make Pastrmajlija. We’ve included photos of the recipe process so that you can follow along as you make this recipe at home.
This is especially helpful if you are not used to working with yeast dough.
You can find the recipe card with the exact measurements and steps at the bottom of this post if you prefer a more compact version!
Start by preparing the pizza dough. Add the flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast to a large bowl.
Whisk until the ingredients are well combined.
Then add the water and oil and knead the dough for a few minutes until it is smooth and elastic. You can do this by hand or use your electric hand or stand mixer with the spiral dough hook(s).
Add a little more flour if the dough feels too sticky or a bit more warm water if the dough feels too dry.
Shape the dough into a ball and brush it with some oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour or until it has roughly doubled in size.
In the meantime, prepare the meat. You can also do this step the day before if you want to marinate the meat overnight.
Add the pork cubes to a bowl together with paprika, chili flakes, olive oil, black pepper, and salt.
Stir everything together, cover and place it in the fridge to marinate while you wait for the dough to rise.
After an hour, the dough should have roughly doubled in size. The exact rising time can vary, though, depending on the temperature in your home.
When the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal portions.
Roll up each portion of dough into an oval shape. Pull the dough’s edges up, folding over and twisting the ends to form a boat-like shape.
Then place the dough boats on the prepared baking sheet.
Next, spread the marinated meat evenly over the dough and brush the edges of the pizza with the whisked egg.
Bake for 10 minutes, then take the pizzas out of the oven and crack 1 or 2 eggs on top of each pizza.
Return them to the oven and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until the meat is fully cooked, the egg is almost set and the edges are golden brown.
If you don’t like the egg yolks too runny, you can leave the pizzas in the oven a little longer.
Remove the pizzas from the oven, garnish with parsley, slice and serve. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
This North Macedonian pizza definitely tastes best when you enjoy it hot and fresh. If you have any leftovers, you can store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
However, if the eggs on your pizza were really runny, then we’d advise you to eat the leftovers as soon as possible since the pizza could get soggy over time.
If you know you are not going to eat one of the pizzas, consider not cracking the egg on top. Instead, you can do it when you reheat the pizza in the oven.
Related Recipes
If you liked this pizza from North Macedonia, here are some other awesome Balkan recipes that you may find interesting:
- Shopska Salad
- Cevapi Recipe
- Pljeskavica (Serbian Burger)
- Ajvar (Red Pepper Spread/Dip)
- Tarator (Cold Cucumber Soup)
- Banitsa (Bulgarian Cheese Pie)
Pastrmajlija (North Macedonian Pizza)
Ingredients
For the pizza dough
- 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups water, lukewarm
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 1 egg, whisked
For the topping
- 1 pound boneless pork chops or pork tenderloin, cut into small cubes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 to 4 eggs
Instructions
- Start by making the pizza dough. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast in a large bowl. Then add the water and oil and knead the dough for a few minutes until it is smooth and elastic. You can either do this by hand or use an electric hand or stand mixer with the spiral dough hook(s).1 1/3 cups water, 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Shape the dough into a ball and brush it with some oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until it has roughly doubled in size.
- In the meantime, prepare the meat. (You can also do this step the day before if you want to marinate the meat overnight). Add the pork cubes to a bowl together with paprika, chili flakes, olive oil, black pepper, and salt. Stir well, cover and place it in the fridge to marinate while you wait for the dough to rise.1 pound boneless pork chops or pork tenderloin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/3 teaspoon chili flakes, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- When the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal portions.
- Roll up each portion of dough into an oval shape. Pull up the edges of the dough, folding over and twisting the ends to form a boat-like shape.
- Place the dough boats on the prepared baking sheet and spread the marinated meat evenly over them.
- Brush the edges of the pizzas with a whisked egg.1 egg
- Bake the pizzas at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, then take them out of the oven and crack 1 or 2 eggs on top of each pizza.2 to 4 eggs
- Return them to the oven and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through, the egg is almost set, and the edges are golden brown.
- Remove the pizzas from the oven, garnish with parsley, slice and serve.
Notes
- For a leaner meat option, you can use chicken or turkey breast.
- Don’t cut the meat into overly large pieces or they may not cook completely in the oven.
- Since you are using yeast, it’s important that the water is warm, but not hot as this could harm the yeast bacteria.
- If you don’t have instant yeast, you can use active dry yeast instead. However, you will need to dissolve it in some of the warm water with a bit of sugar first and let it sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
- The dough should be elastic and slightly sticky, but not wet. You can add a little more flour (if it’s too wet) or a bit more water (if it’s too dry).
- The rising time for the dough can vary depending on how warm it is in your home – one hour is a guideline, but it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- If you don’t like the egg yolks too runny, you can leave the pizzas in the oven for a little longer.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
