Boyoz (Turkish-Sephardic Flaky Pastry)

Boyoz is a laminated, tahini-enriched pastry from Izmir with Sephardic Jewish roots, sold from street carts and eaten with a hard-boiled egg and a glass of tea for breakfast. It takes patience to laminate, but the shatteringly flaky result is worth the wait.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup tahini, for laminating
• 1/3 cup neutral oil, for laminating
• 1 egg yolk, beaten, for brushing
• Sesame seeds, for topping

Instructions

1. Make the dough
   Combine the flour, salt, warm water, and olive oil into a smooth, firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes, cover, and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Laminate
   Whisk the tahini and neutral oil together into a paste. Roll the dough out thin, spread with the tahini mixture, then fold into thirds like a letter. Repeat the roll-and-fold two more times, then rest, covered, for 1 hour.
3. Shape
   Preheat the oven to 375°F. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape each into a rough ball, tucking the edges underneath so the layers show on top.
4. Bake
   Place on a lined baking sheet, brush with egg yolk, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until deep golden and flaky.
5. Serve
   Serve warm, traditionally alongside a hard-boiled egg and Turkish tea.