Fried Bread · Teatime Staple

Baursak (Бауырсак)

Photo: Игорь Улитин / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

These fried dough puffs are always torn apart by hand at the table — cutting them with a knife is considered bad form.

Baursak are small pieces of yeasted dough deep-fried until golden and puffed, crisp on the outside and soft inside. Market stalls pile them into baskets or bags, and they're eaten plain, dipped in jam, or alongside a bowl of tea.

Why it's made this way: Baursak turns simple pantry staples — flour, water, and fat — into a filling, portable bread that can be fried quickly at a market stall or campfire without needing an oven.