Crispy Phyllo Dough layers filled with creamy feta cheese make this Borek a delicious appetizer that is so easy to make! This recipe is a keeper! 

These cute little Borek triangles are not only cute and crunchy, but also very easy to make and require only 6 ingredients. Once you give these a try, there is no going back, you will be making them again and again. 

WHAT IS BOREK?

Borek is a traditional Turkish pastry made with phyllo dough and usually stuffed with cheese, although there are many other filling variations such as spinach, ground meat, veggies and herbs. Borek could also be prepared in different shapes - layered pie, individual squares, "cigars", or triangles. Today, we are going for basics. Let's talk about the ingredients, shall we?

PHYLLO DOUGH

Phyllo dough is a jewel of Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. It is a very thin, paper-like dough that is used in wide variety of sweet and savory pastries (Baklava, Spanakopita, etc). Nowadays, phyllo dough can be found at any large supermarket. It is usually located in the frozen baked goods section, near puff pastry and pizza dough. I’ve tried a few brands, and they all work well. The most popular brand is Athens Phyllo Dough. That’s what I buy most of the time. You'll need to defrost the dough by placing it in the refrigerator a night before. Once you remove your phyllo from the plastic, it will immediately start to dry out. You may want to cover it with clean, damp towel if you are planning to keep your pace slow. I don't usually do it, because I work fast. 🙂

FETA CHEESE

For the best results, you'll want to use the real feta cheese and not the pre-packaged crumbles. I use feta cheese almost daily and after trying different kinds and brands, my heart and taste buds picked Bulgarian Feta Cheese as a winner. I buy it from a local Bulgarian store, here in NJ, but it is possible to order it online from the same store or order it from Amazon . I believe you can find a good feta cheese in big health food stores. You need the kind that is sold in bricks, not the crumbles.

Once you get your hands on good feta cheese and phyllo dough, you are almost ready to make Borek at home.

HOW TO MAKE BOREK: 

1. Make it warm. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Mix it up. Make the filling by mixing feta, cottage cheese, egg and parsley together.
3. Brush and fold. Prepare a working station. Place the phyllo sheets, baking sheet, a bowl with olive oil and a pastry brush on the table. Spread one phyllo sheet on the table and brush it gently with olive oil. Fold it in half. Brush with a tiny bit of olive oil. Fold in half again. Brush with a little oil again. Now, place about 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling on one end of the rectangle. Fold dough over filling, forming a triangle. Fold triangle over, forming another triangle. Continue folding until you reach the end of the rectangle.
4. Bake and enjoy! Place the Borek triangles onto the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

BOREK FAQ:

1. Can I freeze Borek? Yes. Just place the pastry in an airtight bag and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place the frozen Boreks onto a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
2. My phyllo dough breaks all the time. What should I do? It is absolutely OK if your phyllo dough breaks here and there. You are folding it in many layers, a few tears won't cause a problem. Phyllo dough tends to dry out easily, so you may cover the phyllo sheets with clean, damp towel, while making Borek.
3. What to serve it with? Borek makes a great appetizer, but you can make a great lunch by serving it with a salad.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE BOREK

Try these delicious recipes: 

• Spanakopita (Traditional Greek Spinach Pie)
• Bulgarian Feta Pie “Banitsa”

BOREK – CRISPY TURKISH CHEESE PASTRY

Tania Sheff

Crispy Phyllo Dough layers filled with creamy feta cheese make this Borek a delicious appetizer that is so easy to make! This recipe is a keeper! 

4.63 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Turkish,

Servings 12 servings

Calories 88 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 12 sheets of phyllo dough
• ½ cup of feta cheese
• ½ cup of cottage cheese 4%, 2% or non-fat
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. of chopped parsley
• ⅓ cup of olive oil

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Prepare the filling by mixing feta, cottage cheese, egg and parsley together.
• Prepare a working station. Place the phyllo sheets, baking sheet, a bowl with olive oil and a pastry brush on the table. Spread one phyllo sheet on the table and brush it gently with olive oil. Fold it in half. Brush with a tiny bit of olive oil. Fold in half again. Brush with a little oil again. Now, place about 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling on one end of the rectangle. Fold dough over filling, forming a triangle. Fold triangle over, forming another triangle. Continue folding until you reach the end of the rectangle.
• Place the Borek triangles onto the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 115mgPotassium: 24mgVitamin A: 160IUVitamin C: 1.7mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 0.3mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below, I can't wait to hear from you!

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