Crispy Cheese Börek for Tea Time
Twelve cheese-filled yufka rolls, a pot of tea and a few small tricks for keeping the pastry crisp.
- Serves
- 4 people
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
By Pazar KitchenOctober 22, 20262 min read
The first bite should crackle; the middle should taste of cheese. That balance is easier to get when the filling is fairly dry and the roll is not packed tight. A little space inside lets the yufka cook without the cheese pushing its way out.
Ready-cut triangular yufka makes a manageable batch: twelve rolls, enough for four people to have three each with tea. This recipe adds no egg to the filling or the seal. A dab of water holds the tip in place.
Before you start
- Is triangular yufka the same as puff pastry?
No. This recipe uses thin Turkish yufka cut into triangles. Puff pastry has a different structure and needs a different method.
- Does “no added egg” mean egg-free?
No. The recipe adds no egg, but the ingredient and allergen information on the yufka and cheese packs still applies.
Three places a roll can go wrong
Wet cheese softens the pastry before it reaches the pan. Drain it first, then crumble it; do not pour the liquid from the pack into the filling. If you add parsley, dry it after washing.
An open seam lets cheese escape into the oil. Wet only the last tip of the triangle, press it down, and place that side into the pan first. There is no need to soak the whole sheet.
Crowding the pan makes turning awkward and slows the frying. Work in batches and leave the cooked rolls in one layer. Covering a hot pile traps steam against the crisp pastry.
Buy once, use half the yufka
Merve’s pack contains 24 triangular sheets; this batch uses twelve. Destan börek cheese comes in an 800 g pack, of which you need 150 g. Follow the labels for storing the opened ingredients. Çaykur Filiz is an optional addition for the teapot, separate from the börek ingredients.
What else to have ready
Optional fresh parsley; water for sealing.
Each product is sold in its listed retail pack. The recipe uses the amounts above; check your cupboard before adding everything.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 12 triangular yufka sheets, about 200 g from the selected 24-sheet pack
- 150 g börek cheese, well drained and crumbled
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley; optional
- Sunflower oil for a 1 cm layer in the frying pan; roughly 250–350 ml depending on the pan
- A small bowl of water for sealing
Method
- 1
Keep the yufka covered
Crumble the drained cheese and mix in parsley if using. Set a bowl of water beside you. Take out one yufka triangle and keep the rest under a clean, slightly damp cloth so they do not dry out.
- 2
Roll from the wide edge
Put about 12 g cheese near the wide edge, leaving a border at each side. Fold both sides over the filling and roll toward the point without squeezing. Wet the tip and press it against the roll. Repeat to make twelve.
- 3
Fry in small batches
Heat a 1 cm layer of sunflower oil over medium heat. A small scrap of yufka should sizzle steadily, not darken immediately. Lower in a few rolls seam-side down, leaving space between them. Turn until golden all around, approximately 3–4 minutes per batch.
- 4
Drain without stacking
Lift onto kitchen paper or a rack in a single layer. Let excess oil drain briefly, then serve while the pastry is crisp. Finish the remaining rolls in batches, adjusting the heat if they brown too quickly.