Turkish cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Laz Böreği

Sweet layered pastry from Rize: paper-thin yufka with vanilla semolina cream, soaked in syrup after baking.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 6 sheets yufka pastry
• 1 l whole milk
• 120 g fine semolina
• 180 g sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 200 g butter
• 400 g sugar (for the syrup)
• 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions

1. First make the syrup: bring 400 g sugar, 400 ml water and a splash of lemon juice to a boil and let bubble uncovered for 10 min., then let cool completely.
2. For the cream, bring the whole milk to a boil with 180 g sugar, sprinkle in the semolina while stirring constantly and stir over medium heat for 6–8 min. until the mixture falls from the spoon like thick pudding.
3. Remove the pot from the heat, quickly stir in the vanilla and egg yolks, and let the cream cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally so no skin forms.
4. Melt the butter, butter a 28 cm round pan and lay in four sheets of yufka one by one so they hang over the edge; brush each sheet generously with butter.
5. Fill in the cream evenly, fold the overhanging sheets over the top, crumple the remaining two yufka sheets on top, butter generously and bake at 180 °C for 35–40 min. until deep golden brown.
6. Immediately pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot pastry – it should sizzle – let it soak for at least 2 hrs., cut into pieces and serve dusted with powdered sugar.