Cheese Bourekas

Serving Size: 10

Savory Middle Eastern hand pies that everyone will love! These baked stuffed pastries are popular in Israel and throughout the Middle East and different versions of this turnover pastry can be found all over the world.

Recipe by: Jen Stone

Cook Times

Active Prep15

Hands-On Cook0

Hands-Off Cook30

Passive0

Total Time45

Recipe Serving Size10

Cooking Tools Required

Baking sheet, Mixing bowls, Mixing spoon, Rolling Pin, Sharp Knives

Ingredients

2 sheet puff pastry
½ cup feta cheese crumbled
⅓ cup kashkaval cheese grated (or substitute another 1/3 cup feta)
⅓ cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
avocado oil spray
1 tablespoon sesame seeds or poppy seeds for topping, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, combine feta, kashkaval, ricotta, egg, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of black pepper (if using all feta, might not need to add salt).
Use a fork to mix ingredients together till well blended. Make sure to break up any large crumbles of feta. Reserve mixture.
On a smooth, clean, and lightly floured surface, unfold one of the puff pastry sheets. Use a rolling pin to roll out the sheet to a 12X12 inch square. Cut the sheet of puff pastry dough into 9 equal-sized squares, each about 4x4 inches large.
Place 1 scant tbsp of the cheese mixture in the center of each dough square. Fold the dough squares by grasping one corner and folding it over to the opposite corners to make triangles. Pinch firmly along the outer open edge of the triangles to seal.
If you're having trouble sealing the dough and getting it to stick together, wet your finger with a bit of water and run it around the edge of the square before folding-this will help it stick. You can also crimp the edges with the times of a fork.
Repeat process for the second sheet of puff pastry.
Spray your baking sheets with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper. Place 9 bourekas on each sheet, evenly spaced, giving them room to expand during baking.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and 2 tsp cool water. Use a pastry brush to brush a light layer of the egg wash onto the surface of each Boureka. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, if desired.
Bake the Bourekas for about 30 minutes, switching the baking sheets between the upper and lower racks halfway. Bake until golden brown and cooked through.

Reheating Instructions

Serve warm. Store in a sealed container or plastic zipper bag Can freeze extra Bourekas, just do not egg wash or bake. Bake from frozen state 30-45 minutes after adding egg wash

Nutrition