Best Bourekas Recipes

CHEESE BOUREKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Beat 1 egg in a medium bowl, and mix in the cheese. Season with parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
• On a lightly floured surface, cut each sheet of puff pastry into 6 equal squares to give 12 squares in total. Beat the remaining egg with water in small bowl. Brush edges of each square lightly with egg wash. Place a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the center of each square. Fold pastry over the filling, and seal edges with a fork. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, brush with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

SPINACH AND FETA BOUREKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach, shallots, and garlic; cook and stir until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat; strain off any excess water. Stir in salt and pepper, set aside to cool to room temperature., On a lightly floured surface, unfold puff pastry. Cut each sheet into 4 squares. In a small bowl, combine feta and ricotta; stir in spinach mixture. Spoon cheese mixture diagonally over half of each square to within 1/2 in. of edges. Brush pastry edges with egg. Fold one corner over filling to the opposite corner, forming a triangle; press edges with a fork to seal. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush remaining egg over pastries; sprinkle with seasoning blend. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes.

CHEESE BOUREKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine feta, kashkaval, ricotta, egg, a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper (if using all feta cheese, you may not need to add any salt). Use a fork to mix ingredients together till well blended. Make sure to break up any large crumbles of feta with the fork. Reserve mixture. On a smooth, clean, lightly floured surface, unfold one of your puff pastry sheets. Use a rolling pin to roll out the sheet to a 12x12 inch square. If using homemade puff pastry, roll your dough out to the same size - a 12"x12" square. Cut the sheet of puff pastry dough into 9 equal-sized squares, each about 4"x4" large. Place 1 scant tablespoon of the cheese filling in the center of each dough square. Fold the dough squares by grasping one corner and folding it over to the opposite corner to make triangles. Pinch firmly along the outer open edge of the triangles to seal. If you're having trouble sealing the dough and getting it to stick together, wet your finger with a bit of water and run it around the edge of the square before folding-- this will help it stick together. You can also crimp the edges with the tines of a fork, if you wish. Repeat this process for the second sheet of puff pastry-roll out the pastry, cut into squares, add filling, and seal the triangles. Spray your baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Place 9 bourekas on each sheet, evenly spaced, giving them some room to expand during baking. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 2 tsp of cool water. Use a pastry brush to brush a light layer of the egg wash onto the surface of each boureka. Sprinkle the bourekas with sesame or poppy seeds, if desired. Bake the bourekas for about 30 minutes, switching the baking sheets between the upper and lower racks halfway through cooking. Bake till golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm. Store or freeze unbaked in a sealed container or plastic zipper bag.

POTATO-FETA BOUREKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with a rack in center. Place potato on rack; bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, remove potato skin and mash until smooth. Combine 1 cup mashed potato with feta and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk 1 egg; stir into mixture.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a rectangle; cut into six 4-inch squares. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in corner of each square, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Whisk remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush borders with egg wash; fold dough over filling and press edges to seal, forming triangles. Crimp edges with a floured fork. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut vents in each pastry. Arrange turnovers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, 20 minutes (or, wrapped in plastic, up to 2 days).
• Brush turnovers with egg wash; sprinkle with seeds. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until deep golden brown and puffed, 25 to 27 minutes. Transfer using parchment to a wire rack; let cool completely.

CHEESE BOUREKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Beat 1 egg in a medium bowl, and mix in the cheese. Season with parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
• On a lightly floured surface, cut each sheet of puff pastry into 6 equal squares to give 12 squares in total. Beat the remaining egg with water in small bowl. Brush edges of each square lightly with egg wash. Place a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the center of each square. Fold pastry over the filling, (make a triangle shape for an authentic look) and seal edges with a fork. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, brush with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

BOUREKAS

Steps:

• 1. Make fillings first which can be made a day or two in advance. Thaw the puff pastry/phyllo dough at least two hours out of the refrigerator in advance needing them. Preheat oven to 350 degrees before baking filled bourekas. Grease or line with parchment paper a baking sheet. On a lightly floured surface, cut each sheet of puff pastry into 6 equal squares to give 12 squares in total. Beat the remaining egg with water in small bowl. Brush edges of each square lightly with egg wash. Place a heaping tablespoon of the chosen filling mixture in the center of each square. Fold each square envelope style or into a triangle with a flat base over the filling, and seal edges with a fork. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, brush with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately. (They can be reheated but taste better when fresh.)
• 2. CHEESE FILLING #1: 1 eggs 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1 pinch garlic powder 1 pinch onion powder 1 pinch salt 1 pinch black pepper Beat egg in a medium bowl, and mix in the other ingredients. (This particular filling can can be made in days in advance because of the egg ingredient.) Yield 12. CHEESE FILLING #2: 1/2 cup soft white cheese such as fresh mozerella in water 1 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese 2 tablespoont cream cheese 1 large or 2 small eggs, lightly beaten Salt and pepper Mash all ingredients with a fork or combine in a food processor. Yield is 12.
• 3. POTATO FILLING: 3 onions, chopped 1/2 cup schmaltz or oil or butter equivalent 2 cups fresh mashed potatoes (not instant) 1 egg Salt and pepper to taste Saute onions in the fat or oil until golden. Blen with rest of ingredients. (makes enough for 30 bourekas so half the recipe, but keep the one egg, if making only 12).
• 4. BEEF FILLING: 1 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon schmaltz or oil 2 cups cooked beef (leftovers), or browned ground beef, processed in food processor) 1 cup mashed potatoes (not instant) 1 egg Salt and pepepr to taste Saute onions in fat or oil until golden. Mix with other ingredients. Yield is 30 so half if making onnly about 12 bourekas.
• 5. SPINACH FILLING: 1 lb fresh spinach 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese Salt and pepper Wash the spinach several times. Put them into a saucepan, cover tightly, and heat over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes until tender. Drain in a sieve, pressing out any excess moisture. Chop fine. Add the other ingredients.

POTATO CHEESE BOUREKAS

Steps:

• For the potato part of this filling, you can bake a potato, use a leftover baked potato, or use leftover mashed potatoes. If you're baking a potato, place a rack on the lowest part of the oven and another rack in the middle of the oven. Place a baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven (line with aluminum foil for easier cleanup). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the potato clean and pat them dry. Stab a few slits on both sides of the potato with a sharp steak knife. (Note that there are two potatoes in these pictures, but you will only need one.)
• Hold the potato over a mixing bowl and rub it with extra virgin olive oil, then coat lightly with kosher salt.
• Place the potato directly on the middle rack above the baking sheet. Let the potato bake for 60-70 minutes till soft inside.
• Squeeze the potato after baking to test for doneness-- it should give when you apply pressure. Remove potato from the oven and let it stand uncovered till cool.
• Peel the potato with your fingers, then mash it. You should end up with about 1 cup of mashed potatoes. Alternatively, you can use a leftover baked potato for this step (of the correct size). You can also use leftover mashed potatoes (make sure they're dairy or pareve if you're keeping kosher). You'll need about a cup of cold or room temperature mashed potatoes total, no matter which of these methods you choose.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine mashed potato, feta, kashkaval, egg, a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper (if using all feta cheese or pre-seasoned mashed potatoes, no need to add any salt). Use a fork to mix ingredients together till well blended. Make sure to break up any large crumbles of feta with the fork. Reserve mixture.
• On a smooth, clean, lightly floured surface, unfold one of your puff pastry sheets. Use a rolling pin to roll out the sheet to a 12x12 inch square. If using homemade puff pastry, roll your dough out to the same size - a 12"x12" square. Cut the sheet of puff pastry dough into 9 equal-sized squares, each about 4"x4" large.
• Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the potato cheese filling on one corner of each square, spreading it out into a triangle shape 1/4 inch from the edge to halfway across the square. The filling will create a diagonal triangle inside the square.
• Fold the dough square by grasping the opposite corner and folding it up and over the filling to to make a triangle. Pinch firmly along the outer open edge of the triangle to seal.
• You can also crimp the edges with the tines of a fork, if you wish.
• Repeat this process for the remaining squares, then for the second sheet of puff pastry-roll out the pastry, cut into squares, add filling, and seal the triangles.
• Spray your baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Place 9 bourekas on each sheet, evenly spaced, giving them a little room to expand during baking.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 2 tsp of cool water. Use a pastry brush to brush a light layer of the egg wash onto the surface of each boureka. Sprinkle the bourekas with sesame or poppy seeds, if desired.
• Bake the bourekas for about 35 minutes, switching the baking sheets between the upper and lower racks halfway through cooking. Bake till golden brown and cooked through.
• Serve warm. Store in a sealed container or plastic zipper bag.
• To freeze bourekas: prepare, fill, and seal the pastries. Do not coat with egg wash or bake. Place the unbaked pastries in a Tupperware or plastic bag in single layers, separating each layer of bourekas with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to keep them from freezing together. Freeze.
• When ready to bake, take the bourekas out of the freezer (no need to defrost) and arrange them on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick oil. Coat with thin layer of egg wash and sesame or poppy seeds, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes till golden brown, crisp and flaky.