Preparation

Börek is a beloved Turkish pastry that's traditionally labor-intensive, requiring careful layering of tissue-thin phyllo dough. This genius technique gives you all the flaky, buttery goodness by simply crumbling the phyllo—a method that's actually traditional in some Turkish home kitchens.

Assembly Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Unwrap the phyllo dough but keep it under a slightly damp towel while you work—this prevents drying.
3. Take 4 sheets of phyllo and roughly tear them into 2-inch pieces. Let them be irregular—rustic is the goal. Place these torn pieces in the bottom of your baking dish, creating a messy layer.
4. Drizzle half the melted butter over the phyllo pieces, using a spoon to distribute it.
5. In a bowl, mix together feta, parsley, eggs, and pepper. Spread this filling over the phyllo layer.
6. Tear the remaining 4 phyllo sheets into pieces and arrange them on top of the filling, creating another messy layer.
7. Drizzle with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and crispy on top.
9. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

The Secret: By crumbling instead of carefully layering, you eliminate the most frustrating part of börek-making while creating even more texture and crispy edges. Every bite has that perfect phyllo shatter.