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Sembusek
Sembusek: Mardin's crisp half-moon flatbread pies filled with spiced mince and onion
TurkishMardin's stone bakeries fill their ovens with sembusek on weekend mornings: thin rounds of dough folded over a filling of minced meat, onion, parsley and pepper paste, sealed into half-moons and baked until crisp and freckled. Families make big batches for picnics and Ramadan, and eat them warm with ayran or a glass of tea. The meat goes in raw and cooks inside the pastry, so roll the dough thin enough to cook through. Common mistake: a wet filling that makes the base soggy; squeeze the grated onion hard. Chef's tip: brush the tops with a little water and butter as they come out of the oven so they soften just enough to fold over a bite of salad.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
To finish
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 16 oz plain flour, ⅛ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup lukewarm water and 2 tbsp olive oil into a soft dough and knead for 8 minutes. Cover and leave for 1 hour, until doubled.
68 minStep 2: Knead 14 oz lamb or beef mince with 1 onion, 1 long green pepper, ⅔ oz flat-leaf parsley, 1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste, 1 tsp isot (Urfa chilli flakes), ½ tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp salt until well mixed.
Step 3: Heat the oven to 450°F (400°F fan) with two baking trays inside.
Step 4: Divide the dough into 12 balls and roll each into a 15 cm round, about 3 mm thick.
Step 5: Spread 2 tablespoons of filling thinly over one half of each round, leaving a 1 cm border. Fold over and press the edges with a fork to seal.
Step 6: Bake on the hot trays (on baking paper) for 12–14 minutes, until crisp, deep golden and the filling is cooked through to 160°F. Bake in batches.
25 minStep 7: Brush with 1 oz butter as they come out and serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sembusek take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- 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 fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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