Method
- Dissolve yeast and sugar in 100ml of the warm water; rest 10 minutes until foamy.
- Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Add the foamy yeast mixture, oil, milk, egg and remaining warm water. Knead 8 minutes into a soft dough. Rise 60 minutes until doubled.
- Punch down. Roll the dough into a thick rope (3cm thick). Slice into 2cm pieces — each piece will fry into a small cube.
- Heat oil in a deep pan to 170°C — a piece of dough should rise immediately.
- Fry the baursaki in batches for 3 minutes per batch, turning, until deeply golden and crisp. The dough should puff during frying.
- Lift onto a rack to drain. Serve at room temperature with butter and jam or honey for dipping. Pair with milk tea (called shai). Baursaki keep 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Common questions
Can Baursaki be made ahead?
Baursaki is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 25 minutes.
Is Baursaki spicy?
Baursaki as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Baursaki vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Baursaki to make at home?
Baursaki is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 55 minutes, no special technique required.
Can Baursaki be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 8 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Baursaki is the Kazakh celebration biscuit — at Nauryz (the Kazakh New Year, March 21) families build geometric stacks of baursaki as the holiday centerpiece. The dish has Mongolian heritage (similar to boortsog) and is shared with Kyrgyz, Turkmen and other Turkic cultures. The dish is associated with hospitality; visiting a Kazakh family means being offered baursaki with tea. Each Kazakh family has its preferred shape; some make round balls, some triangles, some flat.
