Cheese Bourekas
As this is the third boureka recipe we’ve included on our website, we think it’s safe to say that we love these savory pastries!
This recipe for cheese bourekas simplifies the pastry-making process by using store-bought puff pastry and stuffing them with a cheese filling that comes together in minutes. Despite being so easy to put together, this recipe yields golden, flaky bourekas that taste like they took hours to prepare!
Bourekas can be eaten as a snack or alongside a salad for dinner. Cheese filled bourekas are also a traditional part of Sephardic Shavuot meals.
In the Sephardic community, bourekas are a sign of hospitality and comfort. We hope that they bring you the same.
Ingredients
Filling & Pastry
5.5 oz old cheddar, gruyere, or other hard cheese, grated on the large side of a box grater
4.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
14oz puff pastry
1 tablespoon flour, for dusting work surface
2 – 3 tablespoons, sesame seeds
Egg Wash
1 egg
1 tsp cool water
directions
Defrost your puff pastry until it is pliable but still cold, this will take about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the old cheddar (or other hard cheese), feta, egg, salt and black pepper. Use a fork to mix ingredients together until they’re well blended. Set mixture aside until ready to use.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a rectangle and cut into 4×4 squares. Fill the center of the square with 1 scant tablespoon of filling. Wet your finger with water and run it around the edge of the square. Fold the dough over the filling, to the opposite corner, to make a triangle. Press the edges firmly to seal, then crimp the edges with a fork. Repeat this process with the remaining squares of puff pastry.
Evenly space bourekas on the prepared baking sheets, giving them some room to expand during baking.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 1 tsp of cool water. Using a pastry brush, coat the bourekas with a light layer of egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 27-30 minutes, switching the baking sheets between the upper and lower racks halfway through cooking. Bake until the bourekas are golden brown.
To freeze the bourekas: After filling and shaping the bourekas, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until they’re frozen through, about 5-6 hours, then transfer to a Tupperware or Ziploc bag.
To bake from frozen: Place the frozen bourekas on a parchment lined sheet pan (no need to defrost them), and bake at 350 degrees for 35 – 40 minutes.
