Destination
Antalya
The story
Börek is Turkey's family of layered savoury pastries and one of the country's most-served brunch dishes. There are dozens of varieties, and the differences between them are the shape of the dough, the type of filling, and the cooking method. Su böreği (literally water pastry) is the most classical and technically-impressive of them all. Thin sheets of homemade yufka dough are briefly parboiled in salted water, laid in a large tray in alternating layers with a filling of crumbled Turkish white cheese (beyaz peynir, similar to feta), egg, milk and chopped flat-leaf parsley, and baked into a soft, custard-lasagne of tender golden layers. Sold at every Istanbul brunch spot and made at every Sunday family table.
Method
If making from scratch: whisk flour and salt in a bowl. Add eggs, oil and water. Knead 10 minutes into a smooth elastic dough. Rest 30 minutes. Divide into 10 balls. Roll each on a floured surface as thin as you can, aiming for translucent 40cm circles. Use extra flour or cornstarch between sheets so they do not stick.
In a bowl, mix crumbled cheese, eggs, milk, chopped parsley, black pepper and Aleppo pepper if using. It should be a wet cheese custard.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Set an ice bath beside it. Line a large baking sheet with a clean tea towel to lay the parboiled sheets on.
Slide each yufka sheet one at a time into the boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds. Lift with a slotted spoon or a wide spider into the ice bath. Lift out and lay flat on the tea towel. Do not stack them wet.
Preheat oven to 200C. Butter a large deep baking tray (about 30 x 25cm). Layer parboiled yufka sheets: brush each sheet with melted butter, lay it in the tray, and press to fit. Use half the sheets for the bottom layers. Spread the cheese-egg filling evenly over the middle. Continue layering the remaining sheets on top, brushing each with butter.
Whisk egg yolk with milk. Brush generously over the top layer. Scatter with sesame and nigella seeds if using.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes at 200C until the top is deep golden and the filling is set (test by inserting a knife in the middle, should come out clean).
Cool 15 minutes in the tray so the layers firm up. Cut into 8 or 12 squares. Serve warm as brunch or dinner, with a glass of ayran and a Turkish tea. Any leftovers reheat well the next day.
Tips
- Ready-made yufka is fine. Making from scratch is a project. Any Turkish grocer sells stacked circles of yufka pastry that work identically. It is not the same as filo pastry, which is drier and thinner.
- Parboil briefly. Ten to fifteen seconds per sheet. Longer and they turn to mush; shorter and they stay stiff and dry.
- Butter generously between layers. This is what makes su böreği rich and tender. Do not skimp.
- Cheese must be Turkish or a substitute of similar salinity. Feta is the closest widely-available substitute; ricotta is too mild.
- Rest before slicing. Fifteen minutes lets the custard set and gives you clean slices.
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