"This borek is immensely popular throughout my homeland as well as at my Turkish cookery classes. It is also my children’s favourite snack food - even the fussiest child will enjoy this borek and ask for seconds. I use filo pastry and you’ll be amazed how simple it is to make.
Turkish white cheese, beyaz peynir is traditionally used in this borek. Living abroad, it’s hard to get beyaz peynir so I use a combination of feta cheese and grated mozzarella, which work well. Serve this flavourful vegetarian borek for brunch or for lunch with a light salad or as an appetizer for a dinner party."
Ispanakli Peynirli Borek (Spinach and Cheese Phyllo Bake)
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- Recipe Card
Prep time 10mins
Cook time 35mins
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 14 sheets of phyllo pastry, thawed
- 7 ounces spinach leaves, washed, dried and roughly chopped
- 7 ounces Turkish white cheese or feta cheese, brine drained and crumbled with a fork
- 4 ounces grated mozzarella
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup milk, divided
- 1/2 cup water, divided
- 3 tablespoons mild olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Combine the Turkish white cheese or feta cheese, grated mozzarella and two beaten eggs with the spinach leaves in a large bowl.
Step 3
In a separate bowl, mix the water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and milk.
Step 4
Grease a baking tray with the remaining olive oil. Lay the pastry sheets alongside the baking tray. Open the phyllo sheets only when you are ready to use them and cover the rest with a slightly damp towel so that they don’t dry out.
Step 5
Lay two filo sheets in the greased baking tray. Pour 2 tablespoons of the milk-olive oil-water mixture and brush all over the sheet. Repeat this layering until you reach the 7th sheet, using two filo sheets each time.
Step 6
When you reached the 7th filo sheet, spread the spinach and cheese filling evenly. Continue layering the filo sheets and spreading over the milk mixture every two layers until you reach the 14th sheet.
Step 7
Beat the remaining egg with a drop of olive oil and brush over the final sheet. Sprinkle sesame seeds all over the pastry.
Step 8
Bake the borek in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Take the borek out of the oven and cover with flax or parchment/baking paper for 10 minutes, this will keep the borek moist.
Step 9
Cut into pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.