Burekas Recipe — Sephardic Cheese-Filled Pastries

Burekas are the Sephardic pastry that conquered Israel. Walk down any street in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, or Haifa and you will find them: golden, flaky, sesame-crusted crescents and triangles filled with salty cheese, creamy potatoes, or wilted spinach. They are the ultimate Israeli street food, sold from bakery windows for breakfast, lunch, and every snack in between. They are also one of the great Sephardic Jewish contributions to the world’s pastry canon.

The word burekas (also spelled börek, bourekas, or burek) traces back to the Ottoman Empire, where filled pastries were a staple of Turkish, Greek, and Balkan cuisines. Sephardic Jews throughout the Ottoman world — in Istanbul, Salonica, Izmir, and Rhodes — adopted and adapted the tradition, creating their own versions filled with the cheeses and vegetables available in their communities. When these Jews immigrated to Israel, they brought their burekas with them.

In Israeli bakeries, the shape of a burekas tells you its filling — a code that every Israeli learns as a child: triangles are cheese, half-moons are potato, rectangles are spinach. This system allows you to grab what you want without asking, even at the busiest bakery counter. It is an elegant solution born from practical necessity.

For another Sephardic filled pastry tradition, try our Sambusak. For Ashkenazi filled pastries, see our Hamantaschen.

What Makes These Burekas Special

• Homemade yogurt dough — butter and yogurt create an incredibly flaky, tender pastry that rivals puff pastry with a fraction of the effort.
• Three classic fillings — cheese (feta and kashkaval), potato with feta, and spinach-cheese. Make one variety or mix all three.
• Sesame seed crust — a generous coating of sesame seeds on top is the signature finishing touch.
• Shape tells the filling — we follow the Israeli bakery tradition: triangles for cheese, half-moons for potato, rectangles for spinach.
• Freeze beautifully unbaked — shape, freeze on a tray, then bag. Bake directly from frozen for fresh burekas anytime.

Burekas: From the Ottoman Empire to Israeli Street Food

The Sephardic Jewish communities of the Ottoman Empire were among the most accomplished pastry bakers in the Jewish world. Living in cosmopolitan cities like Istanbul and Salonica, they absorbed the pastry traditions of their neighbors — Turkish börek, Greek spanakopita, Balkan burek — and made them their own. Jewish versions often used local cheeses like kashkaval (a semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese) and were adapted to kosher dietary requirements.

In Israel, burekas became a national obsession. Turkish and Balkan Jewish immigrants opened bakeries throughout the country, and their burekas quickly transcended ethnic boundaries. Today, burekas are eaten by Ashkenazim and Sephardim alike, by religious and secular Israelis, by Jews and Arabs. They are Israel’s most democratic food — affordable, delicious, and available everywhere.

Kosher Observance & Halachic Notes

Ingredients

Yogurt Dough

Cheese Filling (for triangles)

Topping

1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water (egg wash) • Sesame seeds (generous amount)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the Dough

In a large bowl or food processor, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the cold cubed butter and work it in with your fingers (or pulse in the processor) until you have a coarse, crumbly mixture with pea-sized butter pieces. Add the yogurt and mix until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare the Filling

For cheese filling: Mix feta, kashkaval, egg, and pepper in a bowl until combined. For potato filling: Mash 400 g boiled potatoes with 100 g crumbled feta, salt, and pepper. For spinach: Sauté 300 g spinach with garlic, squeeze dry, mix with 150 g feta.

Step 3: Shape the Burekas

Roll the chilled dough to 3 mm thickness. Cut circles (10 cm / 4 inches) for half-moons or squares (10 cm) for triangles. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Fold and press edges firmly with a fork to seal. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Step 4: Egg Wash and Sesame

Brush each burekas generously with egg wash. Sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds — be generous, the sesame crust is signature.

Step 5: Bake

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Bake for 25–30 minutes until deep golden brown and the sesame seeds are toasted. Cool 5 minutes on the pan before serving.

Storage & Reheating

• Same day: Best served warm from the oven.
• Refrigerator: Store baked burekas up to 2 days. Reheat at 175°C (350°F) for 8 minutes.
• Freezing (unbaked): Shape, place on a tray, freeze until solid, then bag. Bake directly from frozen at 190°C (375°F) for 30–35 minutes. No thawing needed.
• Freezing (baked): Freeze up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen at 175°C (350°F) for 10–12 minutes.

Troubleshooting Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use store-bought puff pastry?

Yes — many Israeli home cooks use frozen puff pastry for quick burekas. It works well but produces a different texture (more shattery, less tender) than the traditional yogurt dough. If using puff pastry, ensure it is kosher-certified and check whether it is dairy or pareve, as this affects what meals you can serve the burekas with.

What is kashkaval cheese?

Kashkaval is a semi-hard, slightly tangy sheep’s or cow’s milk cheese popular throughout the Balkans and Middle East. It melts beautifully, making it ideal for burekas. If you cannot find kashkaval, substitute with a mix of mozzarella (for meltability) and pecorino romano (for tang). Gruyère also works well.

Can I make pareve burekas?

Yes. Replace butter with margarine and yogurt with non-dairy yogurt or sour cream. For the filling, use potato (without cheese) seasoned with sautéed onions, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Pareve potato burekas are a staple of many kosher bakeries.

Why do shapes indicate fillings in Israel?

Israeli health regulations require bakeries to differentiate between dairy and non-dairy burekas so customers know what they are eating (important for kosher observance). The shape code — triangles for cheese, half-moons for potato, rectangles for spinach — evolved as a practical solution. It is so deeply embedded in Israeli food culture that most Israelis can identify a burekas filling by shape from across a bakery counter.