Börek — Turkish layered pastry using yufka (thin unleavened sheets) or commercial phyllo, filled with cheese, meat, or spinach — is the Ottoman pastry tradition that spread throughout the empire and produced both Moroccan bastilla and Greek spanakopita. The Turkish börek technique uses water-thinned eggs or butter brushed between layers to both separate and bind them during baking — the egg proteins set, binding adjacent layers, while the fat produces the flaky separation.
**Yufka (handmade Turkish phyllo):** - Plain flour dough, rolled paper-thin using a long thin rolling pin (oklava). The dough must be rolled to near-translucency — thicker sheets produce a doughy börek rather than a crispy, layered one. - [VERIFY] Dağdeviren's yufka preparation instructions. **The filling (börek cheese — beyaz peynir):** - Turkish white brine cheese — similar in texture to Bulgarian feta but less salty. Combined with fresh herbs (parsley, dill) and sometimes egg to bind. [VERIFY] Dağdeviren's specific cheese specification. **The layering:** - Commercial phyllo (yufka substitute): layers brushed with melted butter or egg-milk mixture between every sheet. - The number of layers: typically 6–8 for börek. More layers produce a thicker, bread-like result; fewer produce too little structure for the filling. **The egg wash:** Beaten egg with milk or yogurt brushed over the top layer — produces the characteristic golden, slightly glossy surface. [VERIFY] Dağdeviren's egg wash specifics. **Sigara böreği (cigar börek):** Thin strips of yufka rolled around a cylinder of cheese filling — fried rather than baked. The fried version achieves a crispness impossible in the oven.
The Turkish Cookbook