Börek: The quintessential Turkish traybake
Probably the recipe I've made the most times.
Hi there,
In every cooking class I’ve ever taught, we’ve made börek.
There is, of course, no end to variations of this quintessentially Turkish pastry. It comes in an indefinite number of shapes, a myriad of fillings, and can be made with virtually any sort of thinly-ish rolled out dough, cooked or uncooked. It can be baked, or it can be pan fried.
The one that I make on a regular basis, though? Just like most Turks?
Tepsi böreği. Börek baked in a tray.
The tray börek is what I teach in my cooking classes as well. It’s not the prettiest one, but it’s the easiest one. I find it really breaks down any mental barriers anyone had prior to joining the class.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that 50% of participants who’ve never made börek before, say they’ll make it again for their families as soon as they can. They’re surprised at how easy it is – and enthralled by how tasty it is!
I sometimes aliken tray börek to a much simpler version of lasagne, where you don’t have to cook any sauces or pasta. Simply layer ready filo pastry with an uncooked wet mixture. A bit of cheese and greens in the middle, then more layers on top, before you pull over the sides to close the whole thing. Sprinkle a few seeds, bake, et voilà – your börek’s ready to be devoured!
My everyday börek has cheese and parsley in it, though I’ll happily make it without parsley if I’ve run out. I’ve made this recipe more times than I can remember, and never get tired of it.
If you’ve not made börek before, this is the recipe to try:
And just so you know: You can use the same recipe and substitute any filling of your choice.
Cheers,
Vidar