Macedonian Pizza

Pastramajlija (pastramajka) is a Macedonian dish made by baking a dough with cheese and other ingredients. It is similar to pizza but it doesn’t have tomato sauce on top. Pastramajlija (pastramajka) is a dish that has been around for centuries and has changed over time. It was first documented in the early 1800s in the Ottoman Empire, now Macedonia. The original version of this dish used flour, water, salt, and yeast to make the dough. The dough was baked with cheese and some different ingredients like eggs, butter, or bacon. The modern version of this dish uses sourdough starter instead of yeast to make the dough more flavorful and give it a chewy texture. This recipe also includes tomatoes for flavor and ketchup for color instead of eggs or butter.

Macedonian Pizza preparation:
Cut the meat, into bite size pieces and season with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.In a glass, mix yeast, sugar, 3 tablespoons of flour and milk. Allow to foam for about 10 minutes. Add the finished yeast to the flour, salt and olive oil, and lukewarm water if needed. You may need a little more or less liquid to moisten the whole mixture. Once combined, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball. Lightly grease a large bowl, place the dough in it and turn to coat it with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 C degrees. When the dough has doubled in size, take the dough and punch it down on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll each piece of dough into an oval shape, about 1/4 inch thick, brush the dough with 1/2 tablespoon of lard, and place it on a baking sheet. Press the meat into the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Place slices of the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of lard on top of the meat. Fold the edges of the dough to form a border, with a crease touching but not covering the meat. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meat is done. Meanwhile, crack an egg into a small bowl and beat it. Continue whisking the egg until it is smooth. After 12-15 minutes, remove the pizza and brush the top of the crust with the egg. Pour the rest of the egg over the meat, evenly over the entire surface. Put the pizza back in the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until the egg is cooked through. Let the pizza cool on a wire rack.