Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Flija, a Balkan layered crepe built up grill layer by grill layer into a striking star pattern, brushed with butter and cream, served with honey or yogurt.
Flija is a layered crepe from the Balkans, built up patiently one star-patterned layer at a time under the grill until it becomes a tender, ruffled, many-layered cake. It is traditionally made for celebrations and shared around the table, with everyone digging in. Brushed with a creamy butter mixture between each layer and served with honey or yogurt, it more than rewards the time it asks for.
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Prep 20 min
Cook 120 min
Total 140 min
Hard
Scale:
- 1 kg Flour
- 1 L Water
- 1 tsp Salt
- 5 tablespoons Greek Yogurt
- 200ml Vegetable Oil
- 3 tablespoons Clotted Cream
- 220g Melted Butter
- 500ml Sour Cream
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Nutrition (per serving)
935
kcal
14g
Protein
88g
Carbs
59g
Fat
Estimated per serving. How we calculate this.
Preparation
- For the batter, stir the flour, water and salt together until smooth; it should be thick but pourable, with a splash more water if it needs it. Set aside.
- For the filling, mix the butter, oil and your chosen yogurt or cream until smooth and loose, rest it for 10 minutes, then stir again. It should fall like custard. Set aside.
- Heat the grill to medium. Rub a large deep baking tray with olive oil. Using a squeezy bottle or ladle, pipe the first layer in lines to make a star shape, leaving triangles of bare pan between the lines, then grill until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Take it out and brush the whole pan, battered and bare areas alike, with the filling. Pipe another star layer, running the new lines through the gaps left by the last, and grill again until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Keep going, filling each triangle of bare pan with batter as you build the layers. This runs to around 2 hours. Every couple of layers, use one layer simply to fill any larger gaps that open up.
- When it is done, serve straight away with honey or yogurt.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Aim for a batter that is thick but still pours, and pipe it from a squeezy bottle for clean, even star lines.
- Brush the whole pan with the buttery filling after every single layer; that is what keeps it moist and lets the layers pull apart.
- Set each new run of lines into the gaps left by the last one so the pattern fills in evenly as you go.
- Give it the time it needs. Flija can run to a couple of hours, and rushing the layers leaves you with an uneven cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every thin layer is grilled and brushed with filling before the next goes on. That ruffled, many-layered texture is the whole point, and there is no shortcut to it.
The overhead grill is traditional because it cooks each layer from above. Your nearest substitute is a very hot oven with a working top element.
A blend of butter, oil and yogurt or cream is the classic choice. It wants to be loose, about the consistency of pouring custard, so it brushes on easily.
Cut into wedges and served warm, with honey, sour cream or yogurt. It is a sharing dish, meant to be passed round.
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