Serbian recipe
How to make Proja (cornbread)
proja
Rural Serbia
A simple, moist cornbread made from maize flour, oil and sparkling water, sometimes with white cheese. It is often eaten for breakfast with kajmak, ajvar or sour cream.
Ingredients
- 300 g fine cornmeal (maize flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 ml sunflower oil
- 300 ml sparkling water
- 150 g crumbly white cheese, optional
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C and oil a baking tin of about 20 by 30 cm.
- Mix the cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Stir in the oil and sparkling water to make a thick batter. Fold in the cheese if using.
- Spread the batter in the tin, about 3 cm deep.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden on top. Cut into squares and serve warm with kajmak or sour cream.
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Proja kept many families fed in hard times, including Serbian soldiers in the First World War. In 2025 CNN Travel named it one of the world's 50 best breads.
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