Redgate Kitchen

a little bit of pastry goodness

Bourekas are a Sephardic Jewish take on savory pastry, popular in Israel today. Bourekas can be made with a variety of fillings, including cheese, meat, potatoes, and/or spinach, to name a few. They are great on their own as a meal, as part of brunch, a snack to-go, or as a side. Whichever way you choose to fill them and serve them, enjoy them you will. Using store-bought puff pastry makes this an easy and impressive treat to prepare! This recipe is a Redgate Kitchen original.

ingredients

• 2 sheets of store-bought puff pastry dough, thawed
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• fresh spinach, approximately 10 oz
• extra virgin olive oil for sautéing
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (you can buy a block and crumble yourself for higher quality feta; if using the pre-crumbled it is also very tasty, no worries)
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg wash (1 egg yolk and 2 tsp cool water)
• sesame seeds (optional)

steps

1. Pre-heat oven to 350℉.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Sauté 1 large onion (sliced thinly) in extra virgin olive oil until softened.
4. Add fresh spinach (approximately 10 oz) and continue to sauté until wilted.

5. Set aside mixture and let it cool for approximately 5-10 minutes.
6. Stir in a beaten egg.
7. Add in 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of crumbled feta cheese (you can use a block of feta and crumble yourself).
8. Season with salt and pepper.

9. Roll out thawed puff pastry dough and cut rounds (as pictured below) – I make 12 mini rounds on each sheet of rolled pastry dough using the top of a glass to make the evenly cut circles.

10. Spoon mixture into the middle of each round (approximately 1 tbsp of mixture).

11. Fold the dough over to the opposite side and pinch firmly along the outer open edge to seal. If getting a seal around the dough is difficult, wet your finger with a bit of water and run it around the edge before folding– this will help it stick together. Fun fact: Israel regulates the shape of bourekas for sale so people know what’s inside based on the shape (fortunately you can make your own bourekas however you want).
12. Place bourekas on lined baking sheets, evenly spaced, giving them some room to expand during baking.

13. 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 with sesame seeds.

14. Bake the bourekas for about 25-30 minutes, switching the baking sheets between the upper and lower racks halfway through cooking. Bake until golden brown and cooked through.

notes

• Serve warm, store in a sealed container or ziplock 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.