Klepe Recipe – Bosnian Beef Dumplings with Garlic Yogurt
Klepe are Bosnian beef dumplings made by folding thin dough squares into sealed triangles. They cook gently in salted water and are served hot with cool garlic yogurt and warm sweet-paprika butter. The contrast is soft dough, savory meat, cultured tang, and a fragrant finishing drizzle.
This version uses a fairly firm flour-and-water dough with sunflower oil and no egg. The beef filling is simply seasoned with finely diced onion, salt, and black pepper. Paprika belongs in the butter at the end, and the dumplings go directly from the pot to the plate without a baking stage.
The recipe serves four as a main course. Plan at least about an hour and fifty minutes, with extra time for thin rolling, careful sealing, or additional cooking batches. The number of individual klepe depends on the dough you actually roll and cut; count those squares before dividing the filling instead of relying on a fixed spoonful and a promised piece count.
Klepe – Bosnian Beef Dumplings
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour weigh for best results; spoon and level cups; original Type 405 or 550; minimal extra dusting flour is not included in nutrition
- 7/8 cup lukewarm water US volume rounded; Metric retains the exact source volume; about 86–95°F (30–35°C)
- 1 1/3 tsp fine table salt dough salt; keep separate from filling, sauce, and cooking salt
- 2 1/4 tsp sunflower oil US spoon measure is approximate; all goes into the dough
- 10 1/2 oz ground beef 80/20 ground chuck; within the original 15–20% fat range; US weight rounded; Metric is exact
- 1/2 cup onion prepared onion, very finely diced about 2–3 mm or finer; US volume is approximate
- 1 tsp fine table salt filling salt
- 1 g freshly ground black pepper weigh in either system; no paprika in the filling
- 1 5/8 cups thick plain whole-milk yogurt unflavored; original approximately 3.5% milkfat; regular yogurt, not an automatic Greek-yogurt substitution; US volume is approximate
- 2 cloves garlic large, peeled and grated; source weight is approximately 4 g per clove; weigh for the closest match
- 1/2 tsp fine table salt sauce salt
- 2 1/8 tbsp unsalted butter for the finishing drizzle; US spoon measure is approximate
- 1 1/3 tsp sweet paprika US spoon measure is approximate; not smoked or hot paprika
- 12 3/4 cups water for boiling; distribute scaled amounts among suitable pots or fresh rounds as needed; not fully consumed; US volume rounded
- 3 1/3 tsp fine table salt cooking-water salt; not all absorbed; maintain about 6.7 g salt per liter of water
Equipment
- Kitchen scale weigh flour, small seasonings, and filling portions
- Mixing bowls separate raw meat and ready-to-eat sauce
- Rolling Pin roll evenly to the specified thin sheet
- Pastry wheel or knife cut roughly 5-cm squares
- Trays and clean towel lightly flour trays; keep raw dumplings separate and covered
- Large cooking pot at least 6-quart capacity for the base cooking water with headroom; actual load must remain uncrowded
- Slotted spoon release sticking pieces and lift cooked dumplings
- Thin-probe food thermometer verify the beef center at least 160°F (71°C)
- Small saucepan melt butter gently and stir paprika in off heat
Method
- Make the cold sauce. Before handling raw ground beef, mix the yogurt, finely grated garlic, and sauce salt. Cover and refrigerate. Keep its bowl and utensils separate from raw-meat preparation.
- Prepare the filling. Dice the onion very finely, about 2–3 mm or finer. Mix with beef, filling salt, and black pepper just until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed; do not add paprika or pre-cook the filling. Wash hands, tools, and work surfaces after raw-meat handling.
- Knead a firm dough. Combine the flour and dough salt, then add the lukewarm dough water and sunflower oil. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and fairly firm. The measured water is about 52.5% of the flour weight; the dough should hold its shape, not resemble a sticky batter.
- Rest covered. Cover the dough completely and rest for 30 minutes. If it still springs back strongly when rolling, allow an additional short covered rest rather than forcing it. This is a relaxation rest, not a yeast rise.
- Roll and cut. Divide into comfortable working portions using the Notes batch guide, keeping unused dough covered. Roll one portion evenly to approximately 1 mm (about 0.04 inch) thick on a minimally floured surface. Cut approximately 2-inch (5 × 5-cm) squares. Keep the cut squares covered and repeat with the remaining portions. Count usable squares before portioning filling; do not thicken the dough merely to force a specific piece count.
- Divide the filling. Divide the chilled filling proportionally among the actual squares you cut. Test-close a few first, keeping clean borders. The Notes show why a fixed 3 g on every square does not necessarily use the full filling. Use smaller amounts when your cut count is higher; do not overload the last few dumplings. Keep unused filling refrigerated.
- Seal triangular packets. Place filling in the center, fold each square diagonally, and gently press out trapped air around the meat. Pinch all edges fully closed, keeping meat and excess flour out of the seal. Set the triangles separately on a lightly floured tray under a clean towel. Refrigerate formed raw dumplings while waiting for other cooking batches.
- Prepare the boiling water. Bring the measured cooking water and its separate salt to a boil in a roomy pot. Start heating the water during the final shaping so heating can overlap that work. At larger scales, use comparable pots or additional rounds; keep the same salt concentration instead of crowding a huge batch into one pot.
- Cook in uncrowded batches. Lower a manageable batch into the boiling water. After about 30 seconds, gently release any dumplings sticking to the bottom with a slotted spoon. Once the water returns to a boil, reduce excessive turbulence. Gently cook for about 8–10 minutes per batch as an initial guide; thickness, filling size, and the actual load may require longer. Floating is not proof that the beef is cooked.
- Verify the beef temperature. Check representative larger dumplings, including pieces from the last-loaded part of the batch. Use a suitably thin thermometer probe to confirm at least 160°F (71°C) in the filling center. If a small dumpling is difficult to probe, cut open a sample to expose the filling and obtain a thermometer reading. An open sample can reveal an obviously raw center, but visual checks alone cannot verify the safe temperature. Continue cooking as needed, then lift with a slotted spoon and drain briefly. Keep waiting cooked portions hot at 140°F (60°C) or above, or serve batches promptly.
- Make the paprika butter. As the final batch cooks, melt the measured butter gently over low heat. Remove the pan from heat, then stir in the sweet paprika for a few seconds. Do not let it turn dark or scorch; it belongs in this drizzle, not in the raw meat filling.
- Serve without baking. Divide the hot klepe among the servings shown, add the cold garlic yogurt, and drizzle with the warm paprika butter. Serve promptly. Do not put the boiled dumplings in the oven; there is no baking stage in this version.
Nutrition
Notes
Bosnian klepe are boiled dumplings
“Bosnian ravioli” can be a useful first analogy for a filled, boiled dumpling, but klepe have their own name, dough, shaping, and yogurt-and-paprika finish. In this preparation, a square folds diagonally into a triangle; the soft cooked dough does not develop an oven-browned crust.
That method differs from Bosnian burek, a baked rolled pastry, and from krompiruša, a potato-filled pita. Mantije also bake, using stacked butter-oil layers and small closed parcels. Similar ingredients do not make those techniques interchangeable.
A firm dough needs kneading and a full covered rest
The water is approximately 52.5% of the flour weight. Combined with a small amount of sunflower oil, that produces a fairly firm dough that can be rolled thin while holding a filling. Unbleached American all-purpose flour is a practical substitute for the original Type 405 or 550, although absorption differs by brand. Weighing gives a more consistent starting point than a firmly packed cup.
Knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, then cover completely for thirty minutes. The rest relaxes resistance to rolling; cutting it to ten minutes can make thin, even sheets harder to achieve. If the dough still pulls back, give it a short extra covered rest. Do not keep adding flour simply because the dough needs more time to relax.
Match the filling to the squares you actually cut
The ingredient formula makes approximately 387 g of raw filling. The source estimates 70–90 dumplings, but that estimate has not been substantiated here at an approximately 1-mm sheet thickness and 5-cm square size. Thin rolling may give a higher count. Do not deliberately make thicker dough to reach a particular number.
At 70–90 pieces, dividing the full filling evenly would mean approximately 5.5–4.3 g per piece. Using exactly 3 g in every one would leave about 117–177 g of filling. The full filling at 3 g per piece corresponds to approximately 129 pieces. These are arithmetic checks, not kitchen-tested yields.
Count usable squares, divide the filling proportionally, and test-close a few before filling everything. With a higher cut count, the amount in each is smaller. For example, 160 usable squares would take roughly 2.4 g each from the base filling. Clean borders and a secure seal matter more than a heaped or loosely defined teaspoon. If trimming or a few test pieces leave unused dough or filling, do not force a large mound into the final small triangle.
Roll evenly and seal triangles without trapped air
Work with a manageable portion while keeping the rest covered. Aim for a uniformly thin sheet, approximately 1 mm, and cut roughly 5-cm squares. The corners should remain flexible. Dust the work surface sparingly and remove loose flour from the borders before closing.
Put filling in the center, fold diagonally, and ease out air around the meat before pinching the edges together. Meat caught in the seam and dry, floury borders make leaks more likely. Place the triangles separately on a lightly floured tray, cover them, and refrigerate those waiting for later batches.
Floating is a cue, not a beef safety test
Use a roomy pot and uncrowded batches. After lowering the dumplings into boiling salted water, gently release pieces sticking to the bottom. Once the water returns to a boil, reduce turbulence so the dumplings cook gently rather than being battered against each other.
Eight to ten minutes per batch is a starting guide, not proof that every center is ready. Floating alone does not verify ground-beef doneness. Check representative larger pieces with a suitably thin thermometer probe, reaching at least 160°F (71°C) in the filling center. If necessary, open a sample to reach the meat with the probe. A visibly raw center clearly needs more cooking, but visual appearance alone cannot establish safety.
Lift cooked klepe with a slotted spoon and drain briefly. Serve batches promptly or keep waiting cooked portions at 140°F (60°C) or above. Larger recipes require more cooking rounds or comparable pots; making oversized dumplings or crowding the pot changes the cooking conditions.
Cold garlic yogurt and butter warmed with sweet paprika
Mix the sauce before handling raw beef, then refrigerate it. Choose thick, plain whole-milk yogurt near the original approximately 3.5% milkfat. If ordinary yogurt has loose whey, a brief refrigerated drain can help it cling; weigh the yogurt used after draining. Its composition will then differ somewhat from the generic nutrition match. Greek yogurt is more concentrated and is not the default formula.
Melt the butter gently, take the pan off heat, and stir in sweet paprika for only a few seconds. Scorched paprika becomes bitter, while smoked paprika would introduce a different flavor. Add cold yogurt and warm paprika butter to the hot dumplings just before serving.
The cooking water and its salt are listed separately from the ingredients eaten with the dish. Much of that water is discarded, and salt uptake has not been measured. The nutrition estimate therefore excludes the full boiling medium and leaves sodium undisplayed rather than claiming a precise finished-dish value.
Troubleshooting sticking, tough dough, and watery sauce
Dumplings sticking together need more separation on the holding tray and less crowding in the pot. Release bottom-sticking pieces gently soon after loading rather than tearing them away later. Opening seams call for cleaner edges, less trapped air, or a smaller filling portion.
A tough wrapper can come from an overly thick sheet, excess dusting flour, or insufficient rest. Check those details before changing the measured formula. Watery sauce may reflect the yogurt chosen or dumplings that were not drained; use the specified thick regular yogurt and drain the cooked pieces briefly before plating.
Preparing ahead and storing meat-filled dumplings
Keep raw beef, filling, shaped raw klepe, and sauce at 40°F (4°C) or below when not actively working. Cook assembled raw dumplings within the beef’s original one-to-two-day refrigerated storage window. Prepare large batches from small chilled portions and keep ready-to-eat sauce utensils away from raw meat.
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within two hours, or within one hour above 90°F (32°C). Keep sauce and cooked dumplings separately and use within two days, following a shorter yogurt-label limit if needed. Reheat dumplings throughout to 165°F (74°C); their texture may soften. Add the yogurt separately instead of boiling the sauce.
The displayed time assumes two cooking batches. Thin rolling may produce enough squares to need more, and hand shaping can take longer than the nominal preparation allowance. Allow roughly 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes or more according to your pace, dough behavior, and actual pot capacity. An independently kitchen-tested yield, preparation schedule, or freezing duration is not claimed.
