February 2018MAIN STORY

Boreka Dough

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Makes 3 pastry sheets roughly 10 to 15 inches: each 1 sheet makes about 8 borekas

6 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons kosher salt

¼ cup white vinegar

2 ⅓ cups seltzer water

3 ¾ sticks (15 ounces) butter, softened

● Combine the flour, salt, and vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle

attachment. Mix on low while adding the seltzer in a slow, steady stream. Continue

mixing until the dough begins to pull away from the sides and bottom of the mixer, about

2 minutes.

● Flour a work surface and knead the dough by hand just until it feels smooth and

homogenous, about a minute. Cover with a clean cotton cloth and let rest for 30

minutes.

● Working with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a rough ¼-inch-thick rectangle

with a long side facing you. (It should be at least 20 by 15 inches.) Spread half the butter

evenly across the middle third of the dough rectangle. Fold the left third of the dough

over the butter, then fold the right third over the left third (they’ll overlap). Fold the top

and bottom edges toward the center the same way, forming a square. Wrap tightly with

plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

● Flour a work surface. Orient the dough square so that it’s turned 90 degrees from the

first time you folded it (that is, with the folded ends on the sides). Roll the chilled dough

out to a ¼-inch-thick-rectangle (again, about 20 by 15 inches). Spread the rest of the

butter evenly across the middle third of the rectangle. Fold the sides over the butter, and

fold the top and bottom toward the center, forming a square. Wrap tightly with plastic

wrap and refrigerate overnight.

● Flour a work surface. Orient the dough square so that it’s turned 90 degrees from the

last fold and roll the chilled dough out to a ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat the folding

process, folding the sides into the center and then folding the top and bottom toward the

center to make a square. (This time, don’t add more butter.) Wrap tightly with plastic

wrap and refrigerate overnight.

● The next day, divide the dough into 3 pieces and freeze for later use; or, roll each piece

into a 10-by-15-inch sheet to use in recipes. Make sure to keep the dough cold at all

times (Except when you’re working with it).

● Filled borekas can be frozen before baking. In that case, put them directly in a preheated

425ºF oven; don’t thaw them first.

● Don’t refrigerate baked borekas. They’ll keep at room temperature for 2 days. Reheat in

325ºF oven for 5 minutes.

Boreka_Dough_from_Zahav¨_©2015_by_Michael_Solomonov_and_Steven_Cook. Reproduced by permission

of Rux Martin Books Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

L'Chaim

Jewish Family Service Centennial

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