Crispy Cheese Sambousek 🥟🇱🇧

Description

Golden, bakery-style Middle Eastern cheese pies with a crisp shell and a creamy, herby center 🧀

Hook

Flaky edges, stretchy cheese, and a sesame–nigella crunch that feels like a street-bakery win ✨

Ingredients

• Dough
• 🥣 360 g all-purpose flour (3 cups / 12.7 oz)
• 🧂 6 g fine sea salt (1 tsp / 0.21 oz)
• 🌾 7 g instant yeast (2¼ tsp / 0.25 oz)
• 🍬 8 g sugar (2 tsp / 0.28 oz)
• 🥛 120 ml plain yogurt (½ cup / 4 fl oz)
• 💧 150 ml warm water, 38–40°C (⅝ cup / 5 fl oz)
• 🫒 45 ml olive oil (3 tbsp / 1½ fl oz)
• Cheese filling
• 🧀 250 g feta, crumbled (1⅔ cups / 8.8 oz)
• 🧀 200 g mozzarella, shredded (2 cups / 7 oz)
• 🥚 1 large egg (50 g / 1.8 oz)
• 🌿 15 g parsley, finely chopped (½ cup / 0.5 oz)
• 🌿 5 g mint, finely chopped (2 tbsp / 0.18 oz)
• 🌺 3 g ground sumac (¾ tsp / 0.11 oz)
• ⚫ 1 g black pepper (¼ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• Finish
• 🥚 1 egg yolk
• 🥛 15 ml milk (1 tbsp / ½ fl oz)
• 🌾 10 g sesame seeds (1 tbsp / 0.35 oz)
• 🌑 6 g nigella seeds, optional (2 tsp / 0.21 oz)
• 🫒 10 ml olive oil for the tray (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Mix the dough
2. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, yeast, and sugar. Add yogurt, warm water, and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3. 2️⃣ First rise
4. Cover and proof 25 minutes in a warm spot until slightly puffy. This is a quick dough, it should feel lighter but not fully doubled.
5. 3️⃣ Make the filling
6. In a bowl combine feta, mozzarella, egg, parsley, mint, sumac, and black pepper. Mix until evenly combined. Chill 10 minutes so it firms up and becomes easier to portion.
7. 4️⃣ Preheat and prep the tray
8. Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F). Lightly oil a 30×40 cm tray (12×16 in) and line with baking paper.
9. 5️⃣ Divide the dough
10. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 16 pieces, about 45 g each (1.6 oz). Roll into tight balls. Cover and rest 10 minutes so the dough stretches without snapping back.
11. 6️⃣ Shape the rounds
12. Roll each ball into a 10–11 cm circle (4–4⅓ in), keeping the center slightly thinner than the edges.
13. 7️⃣ Fill and seal
14. Place 1 heaped tablespoon of filling in the center. Fold into a half-moon. Press edges firmly, then crimp with a fork. For extra security, pinch once more along the seam so nothing leaks.
15. 8️⃣ Egg wash and seed coat
16. Whisk egg yolk with milk. Brush each sambousek. Sprinkle sesame and nigella on top.
17. 9️⃣ Bake
18. Bake at 210°C (410°F) for 16–18 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Cool 5 minutes on a rack so the bottom stays crunchy.

Total Time

⏱️ Prep: 25 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 18 min
🛋️ Rest: 45 min
⏰ Total: 88 min

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