Baked Turkish Pastırma and Cheese Pastry (Paçanga Böreği)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Dice the green bell pepper into small 5 mm pieces and seed and dice the tomato into 5 mm cubes. Finely chop the pastırma slices into thin strips and shred the kaşar cheese using a box grater.

2. 2

   In a medium mixing bowl, combine the diced green pepper, diced tomato, chopped pastırma strips, and shredded kaşar cheese using a spoon until evenly distributed. Do not add extra salt, as pastırma and cheese are naturally salty. Set the filling mixture aside at room temperature.

3. 3

   Whisk the olive oil and water together in a small bowl until temporarily emulsified. Unroll the fresh yufka sheets on a clean work surface and cut them into large triangles (roughly 20 cm wide at the base). Lightly brush each triangle with the olive oil and water mixture using a pastry brush.

4. 4

   Place 2 heaped tablespoons of the pastırma and cheese filling along the wider edge of each yufka triangle, leaving a 2 cm border on the sides. Fold the side edges inward over the filling to trap the cheese, then roll tightly toward the pointed tip to create neat, thick rectangular envelopes.

5. 5

   Arrange the rolled paçanga pastries seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 cm of space between them. Brush the tops generously with the remaining olive oil and water mixture. If the pastry skin looks dry, add a few drops of water to keep the pastry supple before baking.

6. 6

   Bake on the middle rack at 200°C for 18 to 20 minutes until the pastry is deep golden brown and crisp, and the cheese inside has melted completely. Remove from the oven with oven mitts and let rest for 3 minutes. Serve warm while the cheese is gooey, paired with fresh Turkish brewed tea.

Serve with

Drink

Traditional Turkish Clove-Infused Brewed Tea

Turkish · 25 min