Bourekas

During the Great Quarantine of 2020, the holiday of Lag B’Omer, known for picnics and spending time outdoors, drew our attention. Being outside with our friends and family was something we were all desperately missing. With the hope that we’d all be together again soon, we hosted a Virtual Boureka Making Workshop to celebrate Lag B’Omer as bourekas are the perfect picnic food.

The recipe for the boureka dough comes from the Or VeShalom Congregation in Atlanta. Our friend, Stephen Ross, kindly shared this meaningful recipe with us. His grandmother, Stella Firestone, along with her sisters, Janette and Rachel, would make bourekas at the synagogue every Tuesday for Boureka Tuesdays! Stella’s mother, Grandma Becky, immigrated from Turkey to the American South, and brought her boureka recipe with her, changing the food landscape of the North American Jewish community, as well as the American South.

In the Sephardic community, bourekas are a sign of hospitality and comfort. We hope that they bring you the same.

Ingredients

DOUGH
From The Or VeShalom Congregation Sisterhood

Full dough recipe
55 – 60 bourekas

  • 1 cup vegetable oil, canola oil or olive oil
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 8 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 3 – 4 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Half dough recipe
25 – 30 bourekas

  • ½ cup vegetable oil, canola oil or olive oil
  • 1 ¼ cup water
  • ½ tsp Kosher salt
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 – 3 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Quarter dough recipe
10 – 15 bourekas

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil, canola oil or olive oil
  • ½ + ⅛ cup water
  • ¼ tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 – 2 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

FILLING OPTIONS
From The Wandering Chew

Eggplant Filling
Fills 10-12 bourekas

  • 1.5 lbs eggplant (equivalent to approx. 2 small eggplants)
  • ⅔ cup cheddar or other hard cheese
  • ¼ tsp chili flakes
  • ¼ cup finely chopped parsley or other tender herbs like dill or cilantro
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Mushroom Filling
Fills 10-12 bourekas

  • 8 oz white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup finely chopped dill, parsley, or ⅛ cup thyme
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Cheese Filling
Fills 10-12 bourekas

  • 3 oz gruyere, old cheddar, swiss, or other hard cheese
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • Salt & pepper, to taste

directions

Eggplant Filling

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pierce eggplant several times with a knife and place on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until the eggplant is soft and collapses when you touch it, about 40-45 minutes.

Let the eggplant cool. Split open the eggplant with a knife and remove all the flesh and place it in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Let the eggplant drain for 10 minutes. Using the back of a spoon, press the remainder of the water out of the eggplant. Place drained eggplant on a chopping board and roughly chop. Mix eggplant with cheese, chili flakes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Mushroom Filling

Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan. Once shimmering, add in the onion and saute until the onion is translucent and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the frying pan and saute until they brown another 12-15 minutes.
Place the mushrooms in a small bowl, add in herbs, salt, and pepper.

Cheese Filling

Grate the cheese on a large side of a box grater. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together.

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Bring water, oil, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and quickly stir in flour until the consistency is that of soft pie dough. Let cool for 1-2 minutes until easy to handle. Knead dough until smooth, adding more flour if needed. Transfer dough to a small bowl and cover the dough with plastic wrap or wax paper until ready to use to prevent dryness. Making sure the plastic wrap or wax paper is touching the surface of the dough.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball. Squish the ball into a pattie, and roll it out with a rolling pin until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Cut out a circle using a 4.5 or 5 inch round cookie cutter or glass. Fill each circle with 1.5 rounded teaspoons of filling. Fold into a turnover shape and pinch the outer edges together. Use a fork to make a border and place on the prepared sheet pan. Continue until you’ve used all the dough, making sure to keep the unused portion of dough covered.

Brush tops of bourekas lightly with the beaten egg and bake at 400˚ for 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Full recipe 55 – 60 / Half dough 25 – 30