This step-by-step cooking tutorial will teach you how to make bourekas using puff pastry. You can buy premade puff pastry at the grocery store, or make your own homemade puff pastry– the process is the same using either type of dough. You can also use any boureka filling you like.
Here are the boureka filling recipes that I’ve posted on my blog, I will update this blog with more fillings as I post them:
If you would prefer to make your bourekas with filo dough, click here for a tutorial.
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How to Make Bourekas with Puff Pastry
Learn to make bourekas using puff pastry and any of your favorite fillings with this step-by-step recipe. Bureka, boreka, borek, savory hand pies
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Email Me RecipesServings: 18 servings
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry (store bought or homemade)
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons filling (cheese, meat, eggplant, etc.)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
- Nonstick cooking oil spray
NOTES
You will also need: 2 baking sheets, rolling pin, pastry brush
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your preferred filling; reserve mixture. For this tutorial, I used a cheese filling. You can use meat, spinach, eggplant, or any other boureka filling you prefer.
- On a smooth, clean, lightly floured surface, unfold one of your puff pastry sheets. Use a rolling pin to roll out the sheet to a 12x12 inch square. If using homemade puff pastry, roll your dough out to a 12x12 inch square. Cut the sheet of puff pastry dough into 9 equal-sized squares, each about 4x4 inches large.
- Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each dough square.
- Fold the dough squares by grasping one corner and folding it over to the opposite corner to make triangles. Pinch firmly along the outer open edge of the triangles to seal.
- You can also crimp the edges with the tines of a fork, if you wish.
- Repeat this process for the second sheet of puff pastry—roll out the pastry, cut into squares, add filling, and seal the triangles.
- Spray your baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Place 9 bourekas on each sheet, evenly spaced, giving them some room to expand during baking.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 2 tsp of cool water. Use a pastry brush to brush a light layer of the egg wash onto the surface of each boureka.
- Sprinkle the bourekas with sesame or poppy seeds, if desired.
- Bake the bourekas for about 30 minutes, switching the baking sheets between the upper and lower racks halfway through cooking. Bake till golden brown and cooked through.Serve warm. Store in a sealed container or plastic zipper bag.
- To freeze bourekas: prepare, fill, and seal the pastries. Do not coat with egg wash or bake. Place the unbaked pastries in a Tupperware or plastic bag in single layers, separating each layer of bourekas with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to keep them from freezing together. Freeze.
- When ready to bake, take the bourekas out of the freezer (no need to defrost) and arrange them on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick oil. Coat with thin layer of egg wash and sesame or poppy seeds, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes till golden brown.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
How to Make Bourekas with Puff Pastry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 155
Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 10mg3%
Sodium 68mg3%
Potassium 18mg1%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 15IU0%
Calcium 9mg1%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Thanks to you I finally found a taste of Israel that I have wanted since my wife, and I left Israel 24 years ago.
I used store bought puff pastries and did not use water in the egg yolks in my second batch because I just forgot, however this batch browned up nicer.
For my self-tailored version of these bourekas I used baked potatoes (for the sake of time, I used microwaved baked potatoes) and seasoned them with whatever I felt like at the time but included parmesan cheese that gave them a very different taste yet very yummy if I may say so myself.
After baking in the oven and being golden brown sprinkled with sesame seeds, in the nature of Israel, we opened them up and spread kharif (very hot sauce) in with the potatoes.
I am positive hard-boiled eggs would be fantastic with them like they do in Israel as well.
Thanks once again,
Steve
Yeah, would definitely want to reheat. I’d make meat. You think it’d stay well in the fridge til it went on the hot plate?
It should be fine, bourekas are very resilient. My preferred reheating method is to bake them at 325 till warmed through; I’ve never used a hot plate so can’t vouch for that heating method.
Hi, do you think I can prepare these on Thursday night for Saturday and keep them in the fridge?
Probably, though you’ll want to reheat them before serving (I don’t like them cold). Which filling do you plan on using?
Hello,
I am from Chennai, India. I am a strict vegetarian. Is it possible to make these food items without egg? In Chennai we call these just “puffs”. Egg puffs, chicken puffs and veg puffs. Also please advise how to make these pastry sheets in home.
Thanks,
Selvaraj.
its very nice and clear process of doing patties do more innovation on fillings
i like it an i will try also thanks for posting method with pic
where should buy this pastry from
Hi Chandra, do you live in the U.S.? Every major grocery store carries puff pastry, it’s in the freezer section. If you’re in another country, I’m not sure where you’d find it– but you can try a grocery store or kosher market.
Our Chaverim group is planning an Israeli themed menu for a Kiddish Luncheon in April. I will have to bake the Bourekas on Fri before Shabbat, cool and wrap in foil for the next day. Saturday morning the “kitchen goy” may place them in the oven to re-heat only. How do you think I can prevent the puff pastry from drying out. I can not par bake on Fri and finish on Sat as that is not allowed. Looking for any and all suggestions. New to this site and I love it already.
I am making these for my book club tonight. We read the History of Love and the food theme is Jewish food. I’m also making a kugel. It’s going to be a delicious night thanks to my friend the Shiksa!
Oh, I’m thinking crab based filling or crab/spinach/cheese filling. or nut/honey/cinnamon for a sweet variation.
Thank you for your response. My grandmother, who was Polish, made borekas for my grandfather, who was Turkish. She filled them with potatoes and kashkaval cheese and also spinach with kashkaval cheese. They were made with fillo dough, but I will do it with puff pastry as it is easier. I really enjoy your blog, not only for the recipes, but for all your ideas and the history behind some recipes. Keep up the good work!
PS-My daughter-in-law is a shiksa, and as a result, I have banished the word from my vocabulary…but I make an exception for your blog!
Could you give some recipes for fillings too please?
Thank you.
Hi Karen, right now I only have one filling posted on my website– cheese filling. Click on the “Cheese Bourekas” link above to be taken to the filling recipe. I will update this blog as I post more fillings on my site.