Bourekas are a Middle Eastern puff pastry treat that you will instantly fall in love with at first bite. These particular easy-to-make cheese bourekas are filled with crumbled feta, fresh mozzarella, a generous amount of fresh parsley, and a hint of lemon zest. Not only are they fresh, airy, and flakey, they’re also pillowy puffs of cheesy goodness. You’ll absolutely love how easy they are to make.
Being a girl who grew up in Western Maryland, I have always been a fan of any type of stuffed bread. When I was young, it was definitely pepperoni rolls, however, now that I’m older, it’s recipes like this one in particular, that tend to really get me excited. I mean, who doesn’t love a puffed-up doughy cloud of golden-brown cheese-filled heaven? And, since these are so easy to make and addictive, you’ll want to pair them with just about every weekday meal you have, whether it be soup, a salad, or even just a warm addition to a snacky dinner of olives, pickles, hard-boiled eggs, and a few fresh-cut raw vegetables. Make sure you grab some frozen puff pastry and cheese the next time you hit your local market because this is one cheese-filled pastry treat you really need to try.
Ingredients:
- 2 Eggs, Divided
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1 Cup Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
- 4-oz. Feta Cheese
- 4-oz. Fresh Mozzarella
- 1 (17.3-oz.) Package Puff Pastry, Thawed
- Cold Water
- Sesame Seeds
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 egg with the garlic powder, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and parsley.
- Use your hands to crumble or tear the feta and mozzarella into the mixture. Stir well to combine.
- Open up each sheet of thawed puff pastry on a cutting board. Cut each sheet into four equal-sized squares.
- Evenly divide the cheese filling between the 8 squares of puff pastry.
- Fill a small bowl with cold water. Use your finger to moisten the edge of each square, one at a time. Fold each square over diagonally to make a triangle, and then press or pinch the edges together. Place each triangle onto a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl, and then brush each filled triangle with the egg. Immediately sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
Suggestions:
- I used curly parsley in this recipe, however, you can use flat-leaf parsley if you choose.
- Due to its moisture content, it is easier to crumble the fresh mozzarella with your hands than to grate it.
- Traditionally, these cheese bourekas are often served with hard-boiled eggs and pickles.
Improvements:
- Replace the sesame seeds with poppy seeds or everything bagel seasoning.
- Add a 1/4 to 1/2-teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the cheese filling.
- Serve these with tomato soup or a side salad.
Ingredients:
- 2 Eggs, Divided
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1 Cup Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
- 4-oz. Feta Cheese
- 4-oz. Fresh Mozzarella
- 1 (17.3-oz.) Package Puff Pastry, Thawed
- Cold Water
- Sesame Seeds
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 egg with the garlic powder, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and parsley.
- Use your hands to crumble or tear the feta and mozzarella into the mixture. Stir well to combine.
- Open up each sheet of thawed puff pastry on a cutting board. Cut each sheet into four equal-sized squares.
- Evenly divide the cheese filling between the 8 squares of puff pastry.
- Fill a small bowl with cold water. Use your finger to moisten the edge of each square, one at a time. Fold each square over diagonally to make a triangle, and then press or pinch the edges together. Place each triangle onto a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl, and then brush each filled triangle with the egg. Immediately sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
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Make sure to check out all of the other great Baking Bloggers “Middle Eastern Baking” recipes below. A huge thanks to Palatable Pastime for hosting this event.
- Apricot Pistachio Cake from Food Lust People Love
- Basbousa Cake from Pandemonium Noshery
- Cottage Cheese and Veggies Borek from Sneha’s Recipe
- Easy Middle Eastern Puff Pastry Cheese Bourekas by Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Laffa Bread from Making Miracles
- Lebanese Sesame Cookies from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Mana’eesh (Palestinian Flatbread) from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Parda Pulao – Iraqi Parda Plau from The Schizo Chef
- Roast Chicken Shwarma from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Umm Ali from Caroline’s Cooking