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How to Make a Turkey Burek at Home

Known as burek or brek, this savory pastry is a favorite in Turkey and many other Balkan countries. Made with phyllo dough and filled with a meat or cheese filling, it’s easy to make at home. Borek can be served as breakfast or a midday snack, but it’s also an excellent meal in its own right.

Turkey’s Yufka Dough

Yufka is a thin, airy and flaky phyllo dough that is used in the preparation of savory pastries such as borek. It’s a popular ingredient in Greek, Armenian and Turkish cooking and is available at grocery stores or small bakeries. This recipe works well with yufka, but it can also be made with store-bought phyllo dough.

Traditional Burek / Brik

In Turkey, burek is a savory, stuffed pastry that is typically made in a large pan and cut into pieces. The filling may be made of a variety of ingredients, including curd cheese or minced meat. It’s most commonly fried, but can be baked as well for an easier version.

Another variant of burek is brik, which is a thinner variation and is usually filled with egg, onion, tuna or parsley. Like the original version, brik is cut into triangular pieces before baking and is usually fried instead of baked.

Making Burek at Home

The first step in making these pies is to prepare the filling. You can choose from a variety of flavors, but feta cheese or beyaz peyniri are most common. Other options include spinach, potato or minced meat. You can serve these pies with tea as a snack or alongside cilbir or menemen for breakfast.

To prepare the filling, mix together the meat, onions, garlic, pepper, salt and eggs. You can add a little fresh chopped parsley to the mixture for extra flavor. It’s best to use a high-fat meat (such as beef or lamb) because it will release more fat when it’s browned and sauteed in the pan.

Once you have all your fillings ready, roll out a sheet of yufka and place the filling on it. Then, fold the edges of the yufka over the filling and roll it tightly. If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can place the filled yufka on a clean surface and use your fingers to roll the yufka into a tight round. Once you’ve rolled and wrapped the filled yufka, you can fry them in oil until golden brown.

These are a great treat for kids, as they’re easy to eat and can be enjoyed hot or cold. You can even freeze them and reheat them in the oven or microwave for quick snacks.

How to Make Burek at Home

The most important thing when it comes to making a Turkish dish at home is to have the right ingredients on hand. You can easily make a delicious turkey burek using yufka dough, but it’s also possible to replace it with store-bought phyllo, which is available in most markets.

Known as burek or brek, this savory pastry is a favorite in Turkey and many other Balkan countries. Made with phyllo dough and filled with a meat or cheese filling, it’s easy to make at home. Borek can be served as breakfast or a midday snack, but it’s also an excellent meal in its own…

Known as burek or brek, this savory pastry is a favorite in Turkey and many other Balkan countries. Made with phyllo dough and filled with a meat or cheese filling, it’s easy to make at home. Borek can be served as breakfast or a midday snack, but it’s also an excellent meal in its own…