Turkish Cheese Borek

Method

1. 01

   Heat the oven to 180 C. Line a large baking tray or shallow round tray with parchment and lightly oil it. Keep the yufka covered with a clean towel so it does not dry while you work.

   
2. 02

   Make the filling by crumbling 350 g white cheese into a bowl, then mixing in 80 g grated mozzarella or kashkaval, 1/2 bunch chopped parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Taste before adding extra salt because brined cheese can already be salty.

   
3. 03

   Whisk 1 whole egg, 1 egg white, 200 g yogurt, 120 ml milk, 90 ml oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. Reserve the remaining egg yolk in a small bowl for the top.

   
4. 04

   Lay one yufka sheet on the counter and brush it lightly with the yogurt mixture. Fold or cut it into a wide half-moon if very large, scatter a line of cheese filling along the wide edge, then roll it up loosely. Coil the roll into the center of the tray or place it in a straight line. Repeat with the remaining sheets and filling, adding each roll around the first coil or side by side.

   
5. 05

   Brush any remaining yogurt mixture over the rolls, then whisk the reserved egg yolk with a spoonful of the mixture and brush it over the surface. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon nigella seeds. Let the assembled borek rest for 10 minutes so the sheets absorb some moisture.

   ⏱ 10 min
6. 06

   Bake at 180 C until the borek is deeply golden, crisp at the edges, and set in the center, about 30 to 35 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing so the cheese filling settles, then serve warm or at room temperature.

   ⏱ 35 min