Traditional Turkish Kol Böreği (Homemade Cheese Spiral Borek)
Traditional Turkish cheese-filled pastry made with six thin sheets of homemade yeast-free dough. Each sheet is buttered, filled with white cheese and parsley, rolled into a long rope, and arranged in a spiral before baking until golden.
Ingredients
- Group Amount Ingredient
- Dough 600 g All-purpose flour preferably 10–12% protein
- Dough 360 ml Lukewarm water
- Dough 12 g Fine salt
- Dough 20 ml Olive oil
- Rolling Up to 40 g Additional all-purpose flour as needed
- Filling 450 g Well-drained Turkish white cheese crumbled
- Filling 35 g Fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped and dried
- Layering 150 g Unsalted butter melted
- Tray and topping 40 ml Olive oil
360 ml water ≈ 1.52 US cups, approximately 1½ US cups + 1 teaspoon. For accuracy, use the metric quantity. Olive oil: 20 ml in dough + 15 ml for tray + 25 ml for topping = 60 ml total.
Instructions
- Prepare the dough
- Combine 600 g flour and 12 g salt in a large bowl. Add 360 ml lukewarm water and 20 ml olive oil. Mix until the ingredients form a shaggy dough, then knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, soft, and elastic. If necessary, adjust with water in 5 ml increments or use a little reserved flour to reduce stickiness.
- First dough rest
- Cover the dough tightly and rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax, making it easier to roll thinly without excessive shrinking.
- Divide and rest again
- Divide the dough into six equal portions, approximately 165 g each before rolling flour is added. Shape into balls, cover, and rest for another 15 minutes.
- Prepare the cheese filling
- Combine 450 g drained, crumbled Turkish white cheese with 35 g finely chopped, thoroughly dried parsley. Divide into six equal portions of approximately 81 g. The filling should be crumbly, not watery.
- Prepare the butter and tray
- Melt 150 g unsalted butter without browning it, and divide into six portions of 25 g each. Grease the bottom and sides of a 36 cm round metal tray with 15 ml olive oil. Reserve the remaining 25 ml olive oil for brushing the assembled pastry.
- Roll the first sheet
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough ball into a thin sheet approximately 40 × 50 cm (16 × 20 inches), targeting approximately 1 mm thickness or slightly less. The dough should be flexible and strong enough to handle. If it shrinks, cover and rest for another 10 minutes.
- Butter the dough
- Brush the entire surface of the rolled sheet evenly with 25 g melted butter. Avoid leaving large pools of butter.
- Distribute the filling
- Position the sheet with a 40 cm edge closest to you. Arrange one-sixth of the filling in a narrow line along this edge, leaving approximately 2 cm clear at each end.
- Form the pastry rope
- Roll the sheet away from you across its 50 cm dimension, beginning at the filled 40 cm edge. Form a rope approximately 40 cm long, aiming for a diameter of 2.5–3 cm. Close the ends gently without squeezing the filling.
- Start the spiral
- Transfer the first rope to the center of the prepared tray and bend it into a gentle spiral. Avoid sharply bending, stretching, or compressing the dough.
- Complete the spiral
- Repeat with the remaining five portions. Each sheet receives 25 g butter and approximately 81 g filling. Arrange all six approximately 40 cm ropes outward into a continuous spiral, keeping a little space between adjacent coils and avoiding vertical overlap. If the rolls cannot fit without compression, use a larger tray.
- Brush the surface
- Brush the assembled spiral evenly with the reserved 25 ml olive oil, including its exposed sides. Avoid pooling oil between the rolls.
- Bake until fully cooked
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) with conventional top-and-bottom heat, or begin at approximately 170°C (340°F) for a fan-assisted oven. Bake on a lower-middle rack for approximately 45–55 minutes, with 50 minutes as the working target. Inspect the underside and the dough around the filling. Both should be fully cooked, not pale, wet, or pasty. Extend the baking time if needed, covering the top loosely with foil if it browns too quickly.
- Rest and serve
- Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes. Cut into 12 portions and serve warm.
Notes
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This version uses homemade, yeast-free dough rather than packaged puff pastry.
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Each dough sheet is approximately 40 × 50 cm; roll from the 40 cm edge across the 50 cm dimension to create an approximately 40 cm rope.
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The target rope diameter is 2.5–3 cm, not an exact dimension to achieve by compressing the dough.
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Dough elasticity and flour absorption vary. Rest resistant dough before attempting to roll it thinner.
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Drain the cheese thoroughly. For a milder alternative, replace 450 g Turkish white cheese with 350 g drained feta and 100 g firm, drained ricotta.
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Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly and consume within 3–4 days, or freeze fully baked portions for best quality within approximately two months.
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The specific home-kitchen quantities, spiral arrangement and timings have not been independently kitchen-tested.