The HomeBaker
Cheese Sambousek
I remember being 14 or 15 and the whole house filling with the kind of irresistible smell only fresh pastries can make. A friend was over and every five minutes I asked my mom if they were ready. She kept saying “Not yet, not yet, not yet.”
We just waited by the kitchen totally impatient.
And when the tray finally came out of the oven we stood right there and started eating one, then another, then another. We simply couldn’t stop.
Even today, whenever I visit Israel my friend asks my mom for a whole batch.
Meet the Cheese Sambousek, a traditional Iraqi Jewish pastry baked by my grandmother (and probably her grandmother too), by my mother, by me, and now by my nieces.
Soft delicious dough filled with a mix of cheeses that you truly need to taste to understand how good it is.
In the original recipe there is a special cheese I cannot buy here, but halloumi makes a wonderful substitute.
Another small change I made: the traditional recipe uses mahlab, a spice made from the seed inside cherry pits with a slightly sweet nutty flavor. If you can get it, it is worth it. But the Cheese Sambousek is delicious with or without it.
Hi, I’m Ofira
For the past 20 years, I’ve been exploring my kitchen, baking, cooking, failing, and learning along the way.
Because practice doesn’t just make perfect, it builds confidence.
Cheese Sambousek
Ingredients:
Dough
1 kg all-purpose flour
2 tbsp dry yeast
1 cup oil
50 g butter
1 tbsp salt
4 tbsp sugar
2 ¼ cups lukewarm water (add up to ¼ cup more if needed)
2 eggs
Filling
2 packs halloumi cheese
1 pack feta
2 large handfuls grated yellow cheese
1–4 eggs, as needed
3 tbsp semolina
Instructions:
Prepare the dough
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add eggs, butter, oil, and gradually add the water.
Knead until combined, lightly grease the dough, and let rise for about 1 hour.
Prepare the filling
Finely grate all the cheeses.
Add eggs and semolina.
Mix well until fully combined.
Shape the Sambousek
Divide dough into 30 g balls.
Roll each ball into an oval shape.
Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center.
Fold into a half-circle and seal tightly with fingers, then with a fork.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Once a tray is full, let the sambousek rest for 6–7 minutes.
Brush with beaten egg.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, until lightly golden.
Serving & storing
Best enjoyed after they cool completely (flavor improves).
Freeze well: reheat in the microwave, then in the oven — tastes like fresh.