Peynirli Börek- Turkish Cheese Pastry in a Tray
Peynirli Börek is a well known Turkish meze that is made from a tasty savory filling, enclosed in crispy phyllo dough. Like its greek cousin spanakopita, Borek is usually in the shape of a triangle. This recipe from Damascus is barely a few millenials old and is actually easy to assemble as it is baked in a tray until the top is crisp, golden, and light while the interior is melting, fragrant, and flavorful..
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Servings: 20 pieces
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking dish
- Small bowl
- Medium bowl
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Unsalted butter, melted in microwave
- 12 sheets Phyllo dough
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 1 large Egg, lightly beaten
- 5 oz Halloumi cheese
- 5 oz Feta cheese, rinsed
- 5 oz Whole milk mozzarella cheese, preferably fresh
- ¼ cup Parsley leaves, chopped
- ½ tsp Ground black pepper
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- 1 large Egg yolk
- 1 tbsp All-purpose flour
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Dish - About 1 - 2 hours before serving, begin to assemble and bake the borek. Lightly brush the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with 2 tsp of the melted butter. Trim phyllo sheets to fit evenly with rim of the dish.
- Prepare Oven - Set one rack on the uppermost rung and another rack on the lowest rung. Preheat oven to 425℉ (220℃).
- Prepare Filling - In a food processor, pulse cheeses to small pieces or grate. Remove blade and mix in the parsley, pepper, and salt.
- Assemble Borek - In the medium bowl with remaining butter, combine the milk and beaten egg with the butter. Line the bottom of the baking dish with half the phyllo by laying down 1 sheet and brushing each sheet evenly with the milk mixture. Repeat with the remaining 5 sheets. Spread the cheese mixture over the surface of the stacked phyllo sheets. Top with the remaining six sheets, brushing all but the top sheet with the milk mixture. Cut pie into 2-inch squares with a sharp knife.
- Top Borek - Add the egg yolk and flour to the remaining milk mixture. Stir with a soup spoon to make a light batter. Spread evenly over the top layer and rest for 15 minutes.
- Cook Borek - Set the pie on the bottom rack of the oven and lower heat to 350℉ (175℃). Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer pie to the top rack and continue baking until the top becomes golden brown and all the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven to a baking rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Loosen the squares and serve hot.
Notes
- Leftover or premade borek can be covered and refrigerated a few days. To reheat, place in a 350 degree oven with tin foil on top and bake until heated all the way through.
- Unbaked borek may be refrigerated, sealed with tin foil for 4 days and cooked to instructions above.
- Unbaked borek may be frozen for up-to 3 months and baked frozen for 10 minutes more than the baking time in the instructions above.
Nutrition
Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 1mg