Cheese Sambousek/ Cheese Borek

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Those popular cheese sambousek/ cheese borek that hail from Lebanon and the Middle East are wonderful to eat out of the fryer! They feature a cheese filling encased in pastry and deep fried to flaky perfection. The incredible savory bites are crispy on the outside with a stretchy oozy  cheese inside. For some reason, they have a reputation for being difficult. I have to admit, it takes time make these little cheese morsels from scratch, but they are really so worth it. The process involves making a buttery dough from scratch and cook the cheese filling on stovetop. Classically, they are are formed into a crescent shape like empanadas or a rectangle much like ravioli, and pan-fried to perfection. The crowd-pleaser cheese sambousek can be made ahead of time too!— my mouth is watering just thinking about it! Watch the detailed video tutorial to learn the whole process visually.

If you are a very health-conscious person, please don’t lecture me, skip this recipe and don’t continue reading. Yes, a decadent wonder with an extravagant fat content, but so worth it! Balance is the key, you can enjoy those treats in moderation – you’ll be happier for it.

A restaurant style sambousek! There are dozens of sambousek variations out there, but the technique of making those cheese sambousek, including both dough and filling, is more of a professional restaurant style rather than a homey easy recipe. Anyone thinking of launching a Lebanese or Middle Eastern restaurant, I tell you learn this recipe and I promise it will be a hit among your clients, or even if you’re a curious home cook with an eye for details, keep it in your repertoire, this is a big deal!

The easiest laminated dough that is similar to puff pastry!

Here we’re skipping the ready store-bought puff pastry, and we will be making the dough from scratch. This could be the closest recipe to a puff pastry dough. It does take an overnight in the fridge, but way more easier with no folding technique, it is buttery and flaky with true layers of lamination. Learn it and use in tons of recipes. I call it my secret weapon!

• To make the cheese filling, I used mshallaleh (Lebanese string cheese made up of strands woven together) and majdoola (braided Lebanese cheese, I had to soak for 5 hours, changing the water every 1 hour to reduce its saltiness. If you are using mozzarella alone, skip this step!

• Let the cheese come to room temperature before melting it! If you melt cheese cold, this may cause it to melt slowly or unevenly

The dough needs to rest for 20 minutes; the butter is then added and integrated in the dough and kept overnight in the refrigerator. The dough is very similar to puff pastry and it handles best when cold!

Why add a roux to the cheese filling?

I highly recommend starting with a roux (a mixture of flour & fats) before melting the cheeses, this will definitely enhance flavor and texture.

What type of cheese should be used?

To make a delicious cheese sambousek, you’ll need to know which types of cheeses to use. Certain cheeses melt more rapidly or to a greater degree than others! I combined three cheeses, mshallale (Lebanese string cheese made up of strands woven together), majdoola (braided Lebanese cheese) and mozzarella, and the end result was great, you can combine together mozzarella and Swiss cheese and still get terrific options. Feel free to experiment with your favorite cheeses.

Why should you flour the work surface and the rolling pin?

A floured work surface keeps the dough from sticking. Lightly dusting flour on the counter and rolling pin. Once you’re done evening out the surface and reaching your desired size, brush off excess flour.

Why seal the edges of the cheese sambousek/ borek with a flour-water slurry?

The edges of the sambousek / borek are sealed w<ith a flour slurry to prevent the filling from leaking.

Do we have to add nigella seeds to the filling?

Adding nigella seeds to the filling is optional, but it does add a favored peppery undertone.

Do we have to garnish the top od the borek with nigella seeds?

This also optional. Brush the center of the cheese samboussek/ borek with the flour slurry and sprinkle nigella seeds or even sesame seeds, it will give your sambousek a mouthwatering luster.

Can I make the cheese sambousek/ borek with ready puff pastry?

Believe me fresh is best, but  yes, you can use a ready puff pastry sheet and the result would still be satisfying. Have you ever fried puff pastry? It is good!

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Of course! The prepared dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days before using.

What’s the best oil for frying?

Sunflower oil or canola is my go-to oil for its neutral flavor, good value, and high smoke point. The oil should be at least three inches deep in order to ensure that every piece of samousek will be surrounded by the cooking fat.

Can cheese borek /fried cheese puffs be made ahead of time?

This is also an easy recipe to plan ahead. You can prepare the entire samboussek/ borek the night before, leave them on baking sheets in the fridge overnight, and fry them or bake them off the second day. You could even freeze the sambousek and have them ready whenever, you need, just thaw them for 5 minutes and transfer to the fryer. You can make the borek and leave them in their raw stage in the freezer for 2 months.

Can I bake the sambousek instead of frying them?

Yes you can! But let’s be honest frying is more tasty!

Can I make the sambousek with different filling?

Absolutely yes, once the technique of cheese sambousek has been mastered, use the dough as a template to different fillings, starting from minced meat, chicken, shrimp…you name it! You can also use the dough to make sweet fillings using apples, pears and tons of other variations!

What is the ideal temperature of oil for frying!

Too high and you risk of overbrowning the outside of the sambousek. Too low and the it will absorb pockets of oil, becoming too greasy and soggy. You need to maintain the oil at the proper temperature. 350 °F /175° C is ideal here.

How many pieces can I fry in the same batch?

Like all deep-frying foods, the cheese sambousek must never be crowded, so choose a pan large enough and don’t put in more than the surface will hold in one layer with space between each sambousek. Fry to a golden color and raise out of the oil using a wire skimmer.

Why freeze the cheese sambousek/ borek for a few minutes before frying?

Allowing the cheese sambousek to chill a few minutes in the freezer, will ensure that the cheese would not leak while frying.

How to serve cheese sambousek/ borek?

Cheese samboussek/ borek are so versatile, you can serve them for breakfast, brunch, lunch or as a light dinner paired with your favorite salad, or part of the Lebanese mezze spread. It is common practice to serve them at cocktail fares or a wedding receptions.

How do you make sambousek/ cheese borek?

• Make the dough: In a bowl, combine together the flour, beaten egg, white vinegar, suagr and salt. Add water as needed to create a stiff dough. Start with a half cup and add as needed to end up with an elastic dough of one texture; Keep the dough firm and stiff, don’t add a lot of water. The next step is combining the fat with the dough. The fat smooths and moistens the texture and tenderizes the gluten formation. Add the butter and continue kneading thoroughly until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight, can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before using.
• Make the filling: Add the sunflower oil to a saucepan and warm it for a couple of seconds before adding the flour. Once the flour has been added mix it together with a whisk to form a paste and let it cook for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of the milk and whisk constantly to remove any lumps, even if you still have lumps, no worries they will dissolve totally with the cheese. Keep on stirring until the mix totally thickens up.  Add the cheeses and nigella seeds (if used) and whisk constantly over medium heat to melt the cheese and integrate the everything together.
• Put together: Once you’ve made the dough as mentioned, lightly flour a flat surface and the rolling pin. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, knock it back and remove from the bowl and divide it into 2 even portions, roll one dough at a time out on the floured work surface to 1/4 inch / 6 mmthick. The dough gets sticky, so make sure you have more flour nearby as you roll. Use a pizza cutter, score into (5 x 5 ) cm/(2.5 x 2.5) inches squares, or alternatively, to round circles, using a cutter. Fill the square or circle dough by placing a  tablespoon of the filling in the center. Make the flour slurry by combining flour and water in a small bowl to a moderate thick consistency; brush the boarders of each square or circle (this is an extra step to bind the edges together with no leaking during frying). Carefully fold the squares or circle in half to cover the cheese completely. press edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with the back of a fork.
• Fry: Heat oil to an adequate frying temperature, usually 350 °F/ 180 °C. When you are ready, slip a few sambousek (don’t crowd the frying pan). Fry until golden, 2 or 3 minutes. When both sides are golden brown perfection, move the sambousek to a plate lined with kitchen paper towels and continue with the rest! Devour them hot out of the fryer. I have provided you with a detailed video tutorial above! 

How to freeze cheese sambousek/ borek?

For freezing: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the sambousek in a single layer, leaving each samboussek separated from the other. Freeze for several hours, remove from the pan and store in a zip-top (this will prevent them from sticking together).

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour
• Mahlab
• Vinegar
• Sugar syrup or graulated suagr
•  sugar
• Egg
• Salt
• Butter
• Cheese
• Milk
• Butter
• Nigella seeds

Craving more Middle Eastern fried or baked  inspiration?

• Sfeeha/ Lebanese Meat Pies: served as part of the Lebanese mezze or as a main dish accompanied with plain yogurt,
• Lebanese Meat Fatayer: Lebanese fatayer sit firmly on our list of favorite comfort foods.  They show up in Lebanon and the Middle East on gatherings, wedding buffet lines and every special occasion.
• Antep Lahmacun: have you ever tried the Gaziantep version of Lahmacun?  If not, you are seriously missing a lot!
• Lebanese Meat Rolls: The rolls are ideal for parties, gatherings and they look great on your holiday buffet. When I make them, I usually double the quantity because they freeze perfectly; and the good news is that they can go directly from freezer to fryer

I have provided you with two different ways to shape the cheese sambousek, a rectangle and a moonlike  shape; both are presentable, choose your favorite pattern!

Watch the video tutorial above. Follow my step-by-step instructions on how to make freshly fried cheese puffs confidently!

• Author: Hadia Zebib Khanafer
• Prep time: an overnight in the fridge for the dough, 15 minutes to ae the cheese filling and 30 minutes to put everything together
• Cook: frying time is about 3 minutes for each batch
• Makes: 40 mini sambousek
• Cuisine: Lebanese and Middle Eastern

My love of  those cheesy oozy sambusek knows no bounds.  Frying them  guarantees a shatteringly crispy result, and the oozy, stretchy cheese filling makes them more so appealing — keep this recipe in mind, it is a total winner! With a detailed video tutorial above.

Ingredients:

For the dough

• 500 grams / 1 lb. 2 oz / 3 1/4 cups all-purpose-flour
• 1 teaspoon mahlab, optional
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoon sugar syrup or granulated sugar
• 100 grams/ 3.5 oz  butter, room temperature
• Water as needed, start with 1/2 cup or more to create a dry dough

For the cheese filling:

• 500 grams 1 lb 2 oz cheese, a mixture of mshallaleh, majdoola and mozzarella (you can use mozzarella alone, or a mix of mozzarella and Swiss cheese)
• 3 tablespoons sunflower or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• a pinch of nigella seeds, optional
• 1//4 teaspoon mahlab, optional

To make the flour slurry:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 water

Directions:

To make the dough:

1- In a bowl, combine together the flour, beaten egg, white vinegar, sugar and salt. Add water as needed to create a stiff dough. Start with a half cup and add as needed to end up with an elastic dough of one texture; keep the dough firm and stiff, don’t add a lot of water.

2. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, 5 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes, this is an essential part of the process.

3-The next step is combining the fat with the dough. The fat smooths and moistens the texture and tenderizes the gluten formation. Add the butter and continue kneading thoroughly until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic.

4-Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight, can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before using. It is an ideal dough to use whenever a recipe calls for puff pastry, the easiest alternative to puff pastry.

To make the filling:

1- Add the sunflower oil to a saucepan and warm it for a couple of seconds before adding the flour. Once the flour has been added mix it together with a whisk to form a paste and let it cook for 30 seconds.

2- Add 1 cup of the milk and whisk constantly to remove any lumps, even if you still have lumps, no worries they will dissolve totally with the cheese. Keep on stirring until the mix totally thickens up.

• 
• 3-Add the cheeses and nigella seeds (if used) and whisk constantly over medium heat to melt the cheese and integrate the everything together.

4- You should end up with a smooth, pliable and stretchy mix with no lumps! Leave it to cool down completely before filling the sambousek.

To put together:

Make the rectangle form!

1- Remove the dough from the refrigerator, knock it back and remove from the bowl and divide it into 2 even portions.

2- Using a rolling pin, roll one dough at a time out on a floured work surface to 1/4 inch / 6 mm thick. The dough gets sticky, so make sure you have more flour nearby as you roll. Use a pizza cutter, score into (5 x 5 ) cm/(2.5 x 2.5) inches squares. The exact dimensions are not important, but the thickness is. You can make them bigger than that!

3- Fill the squares of dough by placing a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each square.

4- Make the flour slurry by combining flour and water in a small bowl to a moderate thick consistency; brush the boarders of each square (this is an extra step to bind the edges together with no leaking during frying)

5- Fold two corners over the filling to make a mini rectangle. Using a fork, crimp the edges of the sambousek together to seal.  You want to make sure you have a tightly sealed turnover to help prevent filling from leaking out while frying.

6- Ready to fry or freeze!

7- Or you can add nigella seeds to garnish the center of your sambousek. Brush the center of sambousek with flour and water slurry and sprinkle with nigella seeds, if desired.

8- Heat oil to an adequate frying temperature, usually 350 °F/ 180 °C. When you are ready, slip a few sambousek (don’t crowd the frying pan). Fry until golden, 2 or 3 minutes, then flip. When both sides are golden brown, move the sambousek to a plate lined with kitchen paper towels and continue with the rest!

• For freezing: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the sambousek in a single layer, leaving them seperated from one another. Freeze for several hours, remove from the pan and store in a zip-top (this will prevent them from sticking together).

Alternatively, you can shape the sambousek/ borek to a halfmoon dough, just like you are making empanadas! Here is the technique:

1- Remove the dough from the refrigerator, knock it back and remove from the bowl and divide it into 2 even portions. Using a rolling pin, roll one dough at a time out on a floured work surface to 1/4 inch / 6mm thick.

2- Using a 4-inch / 10 cm cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles. Collect any scraps and reroll to cut more circles.

3- Fill the circles of dough by placing a tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle. Make the flour slurry by combining flour and water in a small bowl to a moderate thick consistency; brush the edges of each circle (this is an extra step to bind the edges together with no leaking during frying)

4-Carefully fold the circle in half, making a half-moon shape. press edges firmly to seal. Crimp edges with the back of a fork.

5- Heat oil to an adequate frying temperature, usually 350 °F/ 180 °C. When you are ready, slip a few sambousek (don’t crowd the frying pan). Fry until golden, 2 or 3 minutes, then flip. When both sides are golden brown, move the sambousek  to a plate lined with kitchen paper towels and continue with the rest!

• For freezing: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the sambousek in a single layer, leaving them separated from one another. Freeze for several hours, remove from the pan and store in a zip-top (this will prevent them from sticking together).

To pin:

If you make the " Cheese Sambousek/ Cheese Borek ", leave a comment below, or share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!! Hashtag, #Hadia’s lebanese Cuisine