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Katmer
Katmer: Gaziantep's paper-thin breakfast pastry folded around clotted cream and crushed pistachios
TurkishIn Gaziantep the morning starts at a katmer counter: a baker slaps a ball of dough into a sheet so thin you can read through it, scatters it with pistachios, sugar and kaymak, folds it into a parcel and bakes it on a hot iron plate. Eaten straight away, it shatters at the edges and stays creamy in the middle, and locals drink strong tea with it. At home a heavy frying pan stands in for the iron plate. The usual mistake is stretching the dough before it has rested; it tears instead of going translucent, so give it the full hour under oiled cling film. Chef's tip: grind the pistachios only to coarse sand, not powder, so they stay bright green and give each bite some crunch.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup lukewarm water
- 4 tbsp sunflower oilfor resting and stretching
For the filling
- 4 oz unsalted pistachioscoarsely ground
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- 2 ⅛ oz buttermelted
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour, ½ tsp salt and ½ cup lukewarm water into a soft dough and knead for 8 minutes, until smooth and springy.
8 minStep 2: Divide into 4 balls, roll each in 2 tbsp sunflower oil, cover with cling film and rest for at least 1 hour. Common mistake: skipping the rest; unrested dough snaps back and tears.
60 minStep 3: Oil the worktop with the rest of 2 tbsp sunflower oil. Flatten one ball with your palms, then stretch it from the centre outwards with your fingertips into a sheet about 45 cm across, so thin you can see the worktop through it. Small holes don't matter.
Step 4: Scatter a quarter of 4 oz unsalted pistachios and 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar over the middle third, then dot over a quarter of 7 oz kaymak or clotted cream.
Step 5: Fold the sides over the filling to make a square parcel about 18 cm across and brush the top with a little of 1 oz butter.
Step 6: Heat a large heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Lift the parcel in, seam side down, and cook for 2–3 minutes, until golden with crisp blisters. Flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes.
5 minStep 7: Repeat with the rest. Brush the hot katmer with the remaining 1 oz butter, cut into squares and eat within minutes while the edges still crackle.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 44 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does katmer take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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