Main Turkish Middle Eastern Vegetarian
Su Böreği (Turkish water börek)
Supple Turkish water börek with briefly boiled handmade pastry sheets, white cheese, parsley, and butter.
Prep70 min
Cook50 min
Rest50 min
Oven190°C
Servings10
Adapted for the home kitchen from documented Turkish recipe references
Ingredients
Written for a 23 × 33 cm dish
Units
Temperature
Servings
- 500 g plain flour rounded
- 5 eggs rounded
- 8 g fine salt rounded
- 60 ml water, as needed rounded
- 350 g feta or Turkish white cheese rounded
- 30 g parsley, chopped rounded
- 180 g butter, melted rounded
- 15 ml olive oil rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Knead flour, eggs, salt, and enough water into a firm smooth dough. Rest 30 minutes, then divide into ten balls.
- Mix cheese and parsley. Bring a wide pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a bowl of iced water. Heat the oven to 190°C.
- Roll each ball paper-thin. Keep the first and last sheets unboiled. Boil the other sheets one at a time for 30 seconds, chill, drain, and blot dry.
- Oil a 23 x 33 cm tin. Lay in the first raw sheet, then layer five boiled sheets with butter. Add cheese, then remaining buttered boiled sheets and the final raw sheet.
- Brush generously with butter and bake 45 to 50 minutes until browned above and below. Rest 20 minutes before cutting.
Notes
- Blot every boiled sheet; trapped water makes the börek pasty.
- Su böreği is intentionally tender and layered, not shatteringly crisp like filo börek.
Sources consulted
Good with
- Greek salad with sardines
- İmam Bayıldı (Turkish stuffed aubergines)
- Soğuk Baklava (Turkish cold milk baklava)
Sources consulted
From Christoph Mayer