Easy Burek: ultra-thin Turkish phyllo dough, filled with cheese
The Turkish Börek (or burek or byrek) is a rustic dish made from ultra-thin dough that, once cooked, creates a thin crust, similar to phyllo dough, crispy, crunchy, and lighter than our puff pastry: perfect for holding soft and tasty fillings.
Usually in Turkey, burek is filled with minced meat, cheese, or vegetables (e.g., spinach). In my recipe, it’s filled only with gooey cheese.
Basically, it is a homemade phyllo dough, very easy to prepare.
Burek (or borek) can be served as a hot appetizer or main dish.
It can also be prepared in advance and reheated in the oven (at 392°F) just before serving.
It’s a simple savory pie but flavorful, not to be missed!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Turkish
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Easy Burek
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use Caputo Nuvola, or semolina)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 7 oz smoked scamorza cheese (coarsely grated or other melting cheese)
- 3 1/2 oz butter (melted + 3 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil, for brushing the dough)
- 1 egg yolk (for brushing the surface)
- sesame seeds (for garnishing, optional)
Tools
- Scale digital, with removable bowl and alarm timer
- Bowls Guzzini set of various sizes
- Stand Mixer Kenwood with 1400 W power, illuminated bowl
- Baking Pan adjustable
Steps for Easy Burek
Take a bowl and dissolve the yeast with warm milk, then add the water and salt, and work the mixture until you obtain a smooth dough. You can easily work by hand (I used a stand mixer with a leaf attachment).
Let the dough rest covered, for about 50 minutes.
After the indicated time, using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 3 equal parts (you can weigh them) and roll them all out very thinly.
Prepare a mixture of melted butter and oil, and brush the first sheet well, add half of the grated scamorza cheese.
Cover the cheese with the second sheet (overlapping it with the first sheet), brush it with the butter and oil mixture and spread the other half of the cheese.
Finally, cover it with the last sheet and brush it too with melted butter and oil.
Now flip the sheets (the third becomes the first) – for each sheet – fold the right and left sides inward and then the top and bottom, closing them into a wallet-like shape, a sort of single bundle will be created (the third sheet will enclose the other two).
Take this loaf/bundle, place it on an oiled baking tray, and spread it out with oiled hands, pressing on the surface.
Finally, brush the surface with a beaten egg yolk, make diagonal cuts, and sprinkle the surface with sesame seeds (optional)
Bake the burek in a preheated static oven at 392°F for about 20 minutes.
Serve in slices, with a side of arugula or salad
Shopping Tips!
To weigh the ingredients for my preparations, I use this practical digital kitchen scale, with a large removable bowl, tare function, and built-in timer.
To work the doughs effortlessly, I use my Titanium Chef Patissier XL stand mixer with a 7L illuminated bowl, 1400 W power, integrated scale, and blender, a faithful ally in the kitchen for: kneading, weighing, whisking, cooking, chopping, melting chocolate, pasteurizing eggs.
If you’re looking for a more economical stand mixer, you can easily purchase Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker stand mixer, with double bowl of 5L and 3.5L and 1200 W power, integrated scale.
Lastly, I recommend this very handy multi-use extendable baking pan, ideal for pizzas, savory pies, and cakes, cookies, and focaccias.
You can purchase all the items I recommend above on Amazon at a great price, just click directly on the respective links.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Origins and Differences between Borek, Byrek, and Burek
The term börek derives from the Turkish bur, which means “to fold” or “to roll”, and well describes the technique used to make this dish: thin sheets of homemade phyllo dough filled and rolled onto themselves or arranged in a pan to form overlapping layers.
Born within the culinary tradition of the Ottoman Empire, börek spread over the centuries in different areas of the Eastern Mediterranean, taking on different forms, names, and fillings.
In Turkey, it is known as börek, in the Balkans it is called burek
“Börek” (or burek) is the Turkish term.
“Byrek” is the term used in Albania and other parts of the Balkans.
In short, they are the same dish: a sort of homemade phyllo dough, filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables, which spread throughout the Balkan area following the Ottoman expansion.
It is also similar to the Greek spanakopita and tiropita.
