The Story Behind the Börek: From Istanbul to My Kitchen

What is Kishik?

A Match Made in Heaven: Kishik and Walnuts

How to Prepare the Kishik Filling

1. 1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the kishik powder, tomato paste, finely diced onion, vegetable oil, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt.
   2. Stir thoroughly until the ingredients are fully homogenized. The final consistency should be a moderately thick, glossy, and easily spreadable paste.
   3. Consistency Check: If the paste feels too loose or wet, stir in an extra tablespoon of kishik. If it feels too stiff or dry, drizzle in a tablespoon of oil. The surface should look beautifully glossy without any pools of oil separating on top.

Mastering the Homemade Laminated Pastry Dough

Homemade Börek Dough Ingredients

• • All-Purpose Flour: Provides the perfect balance of structure and tenderness.
  • Cornstarch & White Vinegar: The secret to maximum flakiness! Adding vinegar helps relax the gluten structure, allowing the dough to stretch effortlessly without tearing, while cornstarch guarantees a crisp, shattered texture after baking.
  • Sugar & Salt: To balance the savory dough profile.
  • Lukewarm Water: Hydrates the flour evenly to form a smooth ball.

How to Make Homemade Börek Dough

1. 1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cornstarch, vinegar, and oil.
   2. Gradually pour in the water, kneading steadily until the mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a cohesive mass.
   3. Transfer the dough to a clean workspace and knead firmly for about 5 minutes until it becomes smooth, supple, and holds a uniform ball shape.
   4. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and let it rest undisturbed at room temperature for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.

Assembly: Shaping the Crispy Spiral

1. 1. Divide and Roll: Cut your rested dough into two equal portions. Lightly dust your countertop and rolling pin with a blend of equal parts cornstarch and all-purpose flour. Roll out one portion at a time, stretching it into a large, paper-thin circle. Do not worry about using a generous amount of flour mixture while rolling; the dough will only absorb what it needs to expand. The thinner you can stretch the dough, the flakier your layers will be!
   2. Layer the Filling: Lightly brush the surface of the stretched dough circle with high-quality olive oil. Scatter half of the prepared kishik paste evenly across the surface, leaving a clean 1-inch border along the outer edge. Sprinkle half of your chopped walnuts evenly over the top of the kishik paste.

1. 1. The Spiral Technique: Now for the fun part! Poke a clean hole directly in the center of your dough circle. Carefully roll the dough from the inside out toward the exterior edges, forming a large ring. Pinch the outer seam firmly to seal the filling completely inside.
   2. Coil the Pastry: Cut the rolled dough ring in half to create two long, even logs. Carefully coil each log into a loose spiral shape directly onto a sheet of parchment paper.
   3. Transfer and Garnish: Use the parchment paper to gently lift and transfer the assembled spiral onto a baking sheet, then carefully slide the paper out from underneath. Repeat the entire process with the second ball of dough.
   4. The Golden Crust Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together a tablespoon of yogurt with a splash of oil. Generously brush this glaze over the entire surface of both pastry spirals. Sprinkle a mix of black nigella seeds and white sesame seeds over the top for a gorgeous, aromatic finish.

Baking Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C / 400°F and set the oven rack to the center position.
2. Bake one spiral pastry at a time for approximately 30 minutes, or until the exterior turns an even, deep golden brown and feels crisp to the touch.
3. Remove from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes before slicing. Serve warm alongside a freshly brewed cup of black tea for the ultimate comfort experience!

Traditional Turkish Food: Soups, Breads, and Street Food Classics

• Turkish Lebeniye Soup
• Turkish Red Lentil Soup
• Simit
• Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls
• Antep Lahmacun
• Red Pepper Paste

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Crispy Spiral Kishik and Walnut Borek

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Prep: 30 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Dough Resting Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Course

Appetizer

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Breakfast

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Dessert

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Snack

Cuisine

Armenian

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Turkish

Print Pin Review

Description

The spiral is absolutely delicious and pretty as a picture, be rewarded with a showstopper suitable for your most deserving guests. Serve it as a breakfast, starter, or snack! The spiral borek is best the day it is baked, serve it warm out of the oven or at room temperature and enjoy the crispiness and flakiness in every bite! Watch the video tutorial below, to learn the artistic technique of shaping the coil!

Ingredients

 

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For the Dough:

• ▢ 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 heaped tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup sunflower oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups water
• ▢ Extra cornstarch and all-purpose flour for dusting and rolling
• ▢ ¼ cup ghee melted, to brush the dough after stretching

For the Kishik & Walnut Filling:

• ▢ 6 heaped tablespoons kishik powder
• ▢ 14 tablespoons canola oil
• ▢ 4 tablespoons olive oil to brush the dough surface
• ▢ 1 small onion finely chopped
• ▢ 1 level teaspoon tomato paste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, but highly recommended
• ▢ 2 cups walnuts chopped
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt or to taste

For the Yogurt Egg Wash & Topping:

• ▢ ¼ cup oil
• ▢ ¼ cup plain yogurt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons nigella seeds to sprinkle before baking
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sesame seeds to sprinkle before baking

Instructions

 

To Make the Filling

• In a bowl, combine the kishik, tomato paste, diced onion, oil, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir well until everything is thoroughly combined. The consistency should be moderately thick but still spreadable, like a paste. If it is too loose, add a little kishik and stir well. If, on the other hand, it is too thick, drizzle in a tablespoon of oil and mix again. The filling should be glossy and smooth, with no pool of oil on the surface.
• To Make the Dough
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, cornstarch, vinegar, and oil. The vinegar and cornstarch help give the dough extra flakiness and improve its flexibility, allowing it to stretch more easily.
• Gradually add the water while kneading until the ingredients come together into a cohesive dough. Continue kneading for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and holds its shape in a ball.
• Cover with cling film and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

To Assemble

• Roughly chop the walnuts with a sharp knife.
• Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a ball. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin with a mixture of cornstarch and all-purpose flour.
• Working with one ball of dough at a time, roll it out into a large circle, as thinly as possible. Sprinkle with the flour mixture as needed to prevent sticking. Don't worry about using a little extra flour and cornstarch; the dough will absorb what it needs as you stretch it. Keep stretching until the dough is very thin—the thinner, the better! Watch the video tutorial for guidance.
• Brush the entire surface of the dough with olive oil. Spread half of the kishik filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle half of the chopped walnuts evenly over the filling.
• Now comes the fun part! Make a hole in the center of the dough and gently stretch and roll the opening outward toward the edges until you reach the outer border. Seal the edges together to form a round, ring-shaped pastry. Watch the video tutorial to see exactly how it's done.
• Cut the ring in half to create two long strips. Roll the strips into a loose spiral, wrapping them around each other to form one large coil. Place the spiral on a sheet of parchment paper, which will make it easier to transfer to the baking tray. Watch the video tutorial for the shaping technique.
• Repeat the process with the second ball of dough and the remaining filling and walnuts.

To Finish and Bake

• In a small bowl, mix the yogurt and oil until combined. Brush the mixture over the surface of both spiral pastries, then sprinkle generously with nigella and sesame seeds.
• Bake one spiral at a time in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 30 minutes, or until beautifully golden brown and crisp.
• Serve warm with a cup of tea!
• Happy eating!

Video

Notes

If you make these "Crispy Spiral Kishik and Walnut Borek", share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!Hashtag them #Hadia's Lebanese Cuisine

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