Traditional Serbian Proja Cornbread: Light, Cheesy, and Gluten Free

Old man winter is clearly on steroids. Is there an end in sight? What are we to do? With the recent cold snap all across the country, we continue to enjoy creamy soups and chili. Let’s embrace the cold, continue making those veggie-filled healthy 😊soups and add a bake to make them special and indulgent! Why not delight in a traditional Serbian Proja cornbread? This version is light, cheesy, and just so happens to be gluten free. Yes, please!

Is there a better bread to bake in the winter to eat with soups and chili than a good traditional cornbread?

Cornbread is hearty, filling, and great for soaking in broths and crumbling into any bowl of chili or beans. In light of the cold winter and the fact that I (who can’t tolerate gluten) really want a bread indulgence, I decided it’s time to embrace the cultural significance of traditional cornmeal.

Having grown up in the American south, I can talk all day long about southern cornbread. One of my grandmother’s was known for her cornbread and my Native American Choctaw and Cherokee ancestry, of course, suggests that I should have some affinity for the grain, which I do.

Maybe someday I’ll blog about a traditional southern American cornbread since, after all, it is in my blood. However, for this post, I wanted to checkout traditional cornbread recipes in other parts of the world. That search led me to Serbia.

A little Serbian history and the importance of corn

Serbia is located in the west-central Balkans (in southeastern Europe). For most of the 20th century, it was a part of Yugoslavia. It is now an independent nation and Yugoslavia no longer exists. During WWII, the Balkans were under communist rule and forced to surrender their wheat to be exported to other countries. Since the Balkan families lost a primary food ingredient, what were they to eat? They discovered that corn could fill that void. It was during this time that cornbread became an integral part of Serbian cuisine. So, with the lack of wheat, they made the most of corn and created their own version of bread using finely ground cornmeal known as proja.

The simplest, most common Serbian cornbread is the Serbian Proja.

How many ways can you make cornbread? Well, I thought I knew them all until I discovered this version. A couple of ingredients are certainly unique to this country and most definitely not found in the southern American cornbread I ate as a child or have eaten since.

The recipe I’m sharing is an adaptation from the grandmother of The Balkan Hostess. I was intrigued by this version because of its simplicity and authenticity. You most certainly can find all sorts of recipes on the internet with additions and changes to most any recipe, but I intentionally look for traditional recipes that tell a country or culture’s history through food not through additions that alter its story.

What is so unique about THIS cornbread?

Well, it just so happens that two of the ingredients are the key to this uniqueness and boy do they make a difference. Those special ingredients in this authentic recipe are carbonated water and feta cheese. See my pic closely and notice how light the cornbread really is. The combination of baking powder and carbonated water make it as light as cake. How else can you get a 100% cornmeal-laden bread so fluffy? I was shocked, to say the least. The addition of feta cheese made it visually appealing and added a slight tang to offset the corn flavor. I was pleasantly surprised.

If feta is not your thing, try Kajmak.

Kajmak is also commonly served with this bread. It is simply a clotted cream; think of it as a very soft fresh cheese. You could compare it to crème fraîche (French sour cream but less sour). Kajmak is usually found on traditional Serbian tables at mealtime. For southerners, just think of it as a sub for buttermilk with your cornbread. 😉

Final thoughts on this traditional Serbian Proja cornbread

This authentic Serbian cornbread was not at all dense like I was led to believe in the recipe description. I used a finely ground cornmeal, so maybe that was the difference. However, the recipe calls for corn flour…. so, I don’t think so. The cornbread was grainy (but too much, though) as expected with 100% cornmeal and a little cheesy from the feta. If you were in Serbia, you would likely eat this with sauerkraut, boiled cabbage, yogurt, or cheese (like I did).

While this cornbread has some unique ingredients, if you think about it, feta cheese and Kajmak are really just substitutes for buttermilk that southern Americans put in or drink with their cornbread. While the are differences… are they really that different? This is such an interesting food comparison between two countries (US and Serbia) that seem so far apart (physically and politically), yet so closely similar. They say food brings people together; we can be worlds apart but connected without even knowing it. No that’s food for thought!

If you are looking for a cornbread that deviates from the American norm to eat on those cold evenings, give this a try. You might find you enjoy this rendition.

Check out my video entitled “Traditional Serbian Proja Cornbread: Light, Cheesy, and Gluten Free” on the detailed steps and visuals in making this bread. You get a really good close up and description of the finished product.

Interested in another simple bread? Check out this recipe.

Zanzibar Sesame Flatbread

Interested in some kitchen tips?

Homemade Evaporated Milk

How to Bring Butter and Eggs to Room Temperature Quickly

Prepping and Storing Fresh Herbs

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!