Burme

Adjaran·Hard·1 hour 30 min

An Ottoman-influenced Adjarian roll pastry, like baklava, made with thin iukha dough, butter and walnuts or hazelnuts, then drenched hot in a saffron-and-lemon-zest syrup. The local signature is the saffron-lemon syrup.

Burme is an Ottoman-influenced sweet of Adjara, a roll pastry in the baklava family made with thin iukha dough, butter and walnuts or hazelnuts. What distinguishes the Adjaran version is the syrup: freshly baked burme is drenched in a hot syrup of saffron and lemon zest, which gives it a floral-citrus character the standard honey baklava does not have. It belongs to the iukha-dough tradition of Muslim Adjara, shared with sinori and boregi.

Crisp, flaky layers of butter-brushed dough around a nutty, sweet filling, the whole thing soaked in a saffron-yellow, lemon-scented syrup that keeps it glossy and moist. Eaten slightly warm, it is sweet, fragrant and nutty.

The thin iukha dough sheets are brushed generously with melted butter and rolled around a filling of chopped walnuts or hazelnuts and sugar. The rolls are baked until golden and crisp. Meanwhile a syrup of sugar, water, saffron threads and lemon zest is boiled to a light thread stage; the syrup is poured hot over the hot pastry so it soaks in completely rather than sitting on the surface.

Variations

A hazelnut version is common in the mountain zones. Some cooks add a splash of rose water to the syrup.

On the Palate

Where Burme sits in the Georgian flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 12

How it's made

6 steps · 1 hour 30 min

1
12 min
Make a syrup: boil 300g sugar with 250ml water, a pinch of saffron threads and zest of 1 lemon for 12 minutes to a light thread stage; keep warm.
Watch out
Boil the syrup just to a light thread stage — too thin and it won't soak in, too thick and it sets sticky on top.
2
8 min
Brush 12 sheets of iukha (or filo) dough with 200g melted butter, stacking them.
3
6 min
Mix 250g chopped walnuts with 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp ground cardamom; spread along one edge of the dough stack.
4
6 min
Roll the stack into a tight log and slice into 12 pieces; stand each piece upright in a buttered baking dish.
5
20 min
Bake at 180C for 35-40 minutes until deep golden and crisp.
6
8 min
Pour the hot saffron syrup over the hot pastry; let it soak 1 hour before serving.
Watch out
Pour the hot syrup over the hot pastry — matching both hot is what lets it soak all the way through instead of pooling on top.

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Baking Sheet

Flat rectangular metal pan (sheet pan, half-sheet, quarter-sheet), 33×23 cm to 45×33 cm, with a low rim. The flat surface gives even heat for cookies, biscuits, roasted vegetables, sheet-pan dinners. Heavy aluminum sheets conduct heat fastest; non-stick coatings make cleanup easier but can warp over 200°C; rimmed half-sheet is the modern American restaurant standard.

Techniques

Baking