Freshly Baked Mediterranean Pastries

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Bread and pastry are the cornerstones of Turkish cuisine. Turks love bread, and there’s an entire category of Turkish bakery products. Here are some popular Turkish bakery products to enjoy that you may not have heard about and you can’t usually find at your local bakery shop.

A staple ingredient for these dough-based specialties is flour, mixed with yeast and salt, and then made into many other ingredients such as milk, eggs, sugar, butter, or olive oil. These Turkish bakery products can be variously eaten for breakfast or as an accompaniment to tea or coffee.

1. Simit (Turkish-style Bagel)

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Simit is a Mediterranean bagel-like bread that is topped with sesame seeds and is often served plain. It is usually known as “Turkish bagel” and one of Turkey’s most famous street foods. This ring-shaped bread is crispier on the outside and lighter on the inside than a bagel.

Simits are usually served for breakfast, preferably shared with tea or coffee and sometimes eaten with cheese, jam, or eggs. They’re also great as snacks! You can layer the simit into two, add cured meats and a dollop of cream cheese for an easy but delicious Turkish bagel sandwich!

2. Turkish Bun (Açma)

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Açma (Turkish bread) is a type of Turkish pastry that has a soft and flaky texture. Traditional Acma making involves twisting and rolling the soft dough into a bagel, which can be eaten as a sweet or a savory treat. It consists of flour, eggs, butter, sunflower oil, sugar, salt, and dry yeast.

How can you eat it?

Acma is a famous pastry that can be found in any bakery in Turkey! Sprinkled with sesame seeds, this Turkish bread comes plain or with olive fillings. It is a popular breakfast treat that you can enjoy by itself or with cheese, cucumbers, and tomatoes aside. You can also slice in half and butter with jam or honey or have it with a cup of tea as a snack!

3. Soft Savoury Buns: Poğaça

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Poğaça is a traditional savory pastry popular in Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans. It has a soft buttery and a lighter texture than the English scone. These Turkish buns are usually stuffed with white cheese, kashkaval cheese, or olives.

In Turkey, Pogaca’s can be found in any bakery shop. It’s a type of pastry you can grab on your way to work or school in the morning. It pairs perfectly with tea, and it is incredibly light and fluffy.

How can you eat it?

Lightly warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds before serving. You can have them for a quick breakfast on the go or serve them at family breakfasts and afternoon tea gatherings. You can pair them with jams, olives, and a hot cup of tea!

4. Phyllo Dough Rolls

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These phyllo rolls are one of the famous varieties of Turkish borek, they are called “Sigara borek” in Turkish because it resembles the shape of a Cigar. It is made from rolls of thin yufka dough filled with a mixture of cheese and spinach, halloumi cheese, or minced beef. Then, these spring-roll-like boreks are deep-fried to a crispy golden brown, making it crispy on the outside.

How to serve it?

Sigara borek is popular as an appetizer or side dish and is usually served warm and with a glass of orange juice or tea.

5. Phyllo Pastry Pies

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These phyllo pastry pies are known as (Su böreği, literally translated as water borek). It is considered the original kind of Turkish borek and is made with yufka dough folded and layered with white cheese, minced beef, or spinach fillings. The filling is made with layers of phyllo dough soaked in a mixture of water, olive oil, milk, and eggs to make the borek light and juicy. Then, the borek is brushed with butter and baked to a beautiful golden color. It is best served warm by lightly toasting it and accompanied by a hot cup of tea or cool yogurt drink.

6. Pilavuna (Flaounes)

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A traditional pastry from Cyprus, pilavuna, also known as Flaouna, is made from shortcrust dough filled with Halloumi cheese, sweet raisins, mint, and garnished with sesame seeds. Like all other pastries, Flaouna is also common as a treat with tea in the afternoon. You can also enjoy it for breakfast in the morning with cheese, olives, and tomatoes aside!

7. Sesame Paste Bun (Tahinli)

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A favorite treat in the Middle East, Cyprus, Turkey, and Greece, these sesame buns contain a mixture of sesame paste and sugar. The deliciousness of a sesame bun depends heavily on the kind and amount of tahini it has. You can either eat as it is or add more tahini paste on top! This popular sweet pastry perfect for breakfast in the morning or as a snack during the day with newly brewed coffee or tea.

8. Yufka: Phyllo dough

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Fresh pastry yufka (Raw Yufka) is a thin dough similar to the spring roll. It is used to make “Turkish borek” (a pie-like dish) and many other dishes.

Gozleme Yufka is a little thicker than fresh pastry yufka and slightly smaller in size. Gozleme yufka is used to make “gözleme” (Gözleme is a traditional delicious Turkish pastry dish).

How to make it?

With fresh yukfa, you can so make delicious spring rolls (cigar-shaped borek). Spread fillings of your choice (meat, cheese, vegetables, etc.) on the yufka, roll it up, and deep fry it. For a healthier alternative, you can bake it in the oven.

Gözleme is a traditional delicious Turkish pastry dish, made of hand-rolled leaves of yufka dough that is lightly brushed with butter and eggs, filled with various toppings, such as white cheese, spinach, or mashed potato, sealed and cooked over a hot plate or griddle.

9. Turkish Salty Cookies

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These salted Cookies (Tuzlu Kurabiye) are delightful, salty, and slightly crumbly cookies covered with sesame seeds. These savory treats are commonly known as “salties” and served during afternoon tea times in the Mediterranean Region.

They are made from flour, egg, vegetable margarine, sesame, salt, and sugar. These tasty cookies are perfect for snacking in the afternoon served with a cup of tea!

10. Flour Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies or flour cookies (un kurabiyesi) are traditional Turkish cookies that are crumbly on the outside but creamy on the inside that melt in your mouth as you eat them. They are made from sugar, flour, vanilla extract, or cocoa extract. You can find them in different shapes in supermarkets and bakeries in Turkey. They are usually rolled in a round shape or rolled as long ropes and sliced in small sizes.

These Turkish Shortbread Cookies are delicate and buttery-crunchy delights that will leave people wanting more! Serve them chilly with a glass of milk or with a hot cup of tea!