I had asked my neighbour to get me 3 yufkas from the market but she came back with 5
Yufka is similar to filo pastry but tougher and more resilient. Filo can be used but because it’s so much finer, it should be at least doubled.
My plan was to make some gül böreğı or little rose boreks.
I learned how to make this attractive shape last year and have repeated it several times since.
1 yufka makes 4 so I thought 20 would be overdoing it!
I used 3 to make 12 and with the rest, made a batch of sigara boreks for the freezer:
I find It’s always useful to have some as a standby and they freeze beautifully. Yufka on its own doesn’t.
In fact, it is demanding in that you have to use it straight away before it starts to harden: then you’ve had it!
While you’re working with it, make sure you keep it covered with a slightly damp tea towel too. (BTW 1 yufka measures approximately 60cm/24in across).
There are several possible fillings for börek but I went for the traditional white cheese/feta and parsley combination. Ask for böreklik beyaz peynir when you buy your yufka as it’s often sold in the same place.
The people there will know how much to give you according to the number of yufka you buy.
This white cheese is used specifically for making börek: basically a softer version that crumbles easily. If you have regular white cheese in the fridge which is harder, simply grate it and it’ll be fine.
The amounts are approximate: don’t panic, nothing drastic is going to happen if you have a little more cheese, a little less parsley!
Ingredients for 12 Gül Böreği or ‘Rose’ Borek
I lump/kalıp of soft white cheese/beyaz peynir ( mine was 500g for both the rose boreks and the sigara ones too so approx 300g for the rose ones alone)
3 sheets yufka/ filo pastry
1-2 cups chopped parsley ( I also added a little dill and fresh mint)
1 egg, beaten + 1 yolk
Sesame/susam and/or nigella seeds/çörekotu
vegetable oil/melted butter
Method
· Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
· Take the white cheese and crumble into a bowl. Add the chopped parsley and egg. Using your hand, mix it all together.
- Spread out 1 sheet of yufka on a flat surface, fold in half and then into quarters.
- Take one of the quarters, with the pointed edge facing away from you and brush with the vegetable oil or melted butter.
- Take a small quantity of the cheese filling and sprinkle the length of the rounded edge.
- Starting from one end, roll up into a long narrow shape.
- From one end, coil it around itself:
- Tuck the end underneath and place on an oiled baking tray or pyrex dish.
- Continue with the rest of the pastry.
- Beat the egg yolk with a little vegetable oil and brush over the boreks. Sprinkle with either sesame or nigella seeds:
- Bake in a moderate oven for about 55 mins until golden brown. Make sure you check the underside of one of them to make sure they’re done.
- Serve hot or cold. They can also be successfully reheated.
Afiyet olsun!
- The shape of these alone makes them a winner but the taste is pretty good too!
These look so delicious. They look very similar to a greek pizza my mother made. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
i can't wait to make these. they look so good! i just bought some nigella seeds too.
Wow, these look amazing! I love that they;re beautiful and delicious.
Thank you, Susan, Jaz and Ellen B, for your comments! I love finding them and have to apologize for not coming by your blogs as often as I would like – will try to rectify! x
There's something I don't understand about the recipe. You say take a sheet of yufka, fold it in half and then in quarters. Do you mean cut the sheet into four parts? That way, with each sheet, four boreks are made. Is that right? I really like the look of these pastries and I'd like to try them.
Hi there! Yes, that's exactly what I mean: 1 sheet of yufka makes 4 of these rose boreks! So glad you like the idea of these – I actually think the most important thing is to cook them enough: make sure they really are golden brown, very!
They look delicious but I guarantee you that if I tried to make them they wouldn't come out right as my sense of presentation leaves a lot to be desired!
Hi Froggie! But hopefully if you follow the instructions, they really would work out!! Wld you use filo then? xx
Such a gorgeous looking gul boregi Claudia, yummy:) I make another version of it with ground meat, onion and spices, and serve with garlicky yoghurt by the side. Yours would be such a wonderful treat with tea, I would love a bit of it now!:)
oh Özlem. I wish you were here with me right now! I have another borek recipe that I will share tomorrow. I feel as if I have just discovered the joys of borek after all these years!
Wasn't it great that we were both nominated for the 5 Best Turkish Cooking Blogs??? I am very chuffed. xx
Yum! These are delicious! I made them and when my Gaziantepian boyfriend came home he told me that we needed to make a garlicky yogurt and and top it with kirimzi biber as Ozlem said! : ) Thanks for the recipe….Ill def be making it again : )
Hello Stephanie! I am sure you are enjoying all sorts of amazing treats if yr boyfriend is from Gaziantep! It's a source of such delicious foods… come back and visit my site again, I would be so happy :)))
These look really delicious. I just discovered your blog while looking for a tarhana çorbasi recipe (commented there as well but by mistake anonymous) and am now strolling around your blog….it's great, wonderful pictures and superb recipes. I enjoy cooking Turkish food and will absolutely try some of your recipes. One day my foods will be able to compete with my Turkish mother in law and sister in law…insallah 😉
Hi Eylem, how nice to find your comment here! I would be very happy if you tried some of my recipes and then told me what you think of them. You know what, practice really does make perfect! Just go for it :)))
Oh my, these look absolutely delicious! Now I just need to find a place I can get Yufka. Thanks for the tip on doubling up the filo, as I may be stuck using it instead.