Potato Borek - Patatesli Börek

5 from 8 votes

Potato Borek - Patatesli Börek (or Burek) is a delicious Turkish pastry made of a cheesy potato filling wrapped in crispy thin yufka sheets.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Diet: Halal, Vegetarian

Servings: pieces

Calories: 95kcal

3 pieces yufka (very thin sheets of dough, also called filo) (4 ½ oz/125 grams each)
1 egg yolk (for egg wash
sesame seeds or nigella seeds (to garnish)

Fill a medium saucepan with cold water and add the potatoes.
Put the pan on medium heat, bring to a boil and gently simmer the potatoes on low heat for 30 minutes or until soft in the middle.
Cool the potatoes down under running cold water and peel them.
Grate the potatoes and set them aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the milk along with the melted butter.
Add the mixture into the bowl with the grated potatoes.
Add chopped parsley, feta, kasar cheese, salt, freshly ground pepper, and chili (if using) to the bowl and give it a good stir.

Lay a sheet of yufka on a work surface and spoon ⅓ of the potato filling onto it. Spread the mixture evenly with the back of a spoon, taking care not to tear the yufka.
Place the second yufka sheet on top and cover it with another ⅓ of the filling.
Trim the sides of the yufka into a square and place the trimmings on top of the filling.
Repeat the same with the last yufka and the potato filling.
Roll the yufka sheet carefully into a neat cylinder.
Cut the cylinder into two equal pieces.
Wrap them with cling film and then place them into the freezer for about an hour or until semi-frozen.
Wrap the cylinder with cling film and place it into the freezer for about an hour or until slightly frozen and easy to handle.
Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F).
Cut the cylinder crosswise into slices two fingers thick using a sharp knife, and arrange them on a greaseproof paper-lined baking tray(s).
Eggwash the slices and sprinkle on some sesame seeds or nigella seeds.
Cook them in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden and crispy.

When rolling the yufka sheets into a log, make it as tight as possible and be very gentle while rolling it.
Using a cling film is very helpful for shaping it into a log. If you don't have cling film, use a clean kitchen towel or baking paper.
Cut the log in two, gently transfer it to a tray and then let it freeze for about an hour (or until it is easy to handle) before slicing.
You can freeze the boreks either before or after baking them and store them for up to 3 months.