Recipe
For one baking tray, 2 kilograms of flour, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 packet of fresh yeast are used. The yeast is soaked in a separate bowl, a small amount of sugar is added, and it is left to activate. The dough is then kneaded with warm water until it reaches a soft, earlobe-like consistency, covered, and left to rest. Once the dough has risen, it is divided into portions approximately the size of two fists. These portions are covered again with a cloth and left to rest so that the dough can settle and rise further. Meanwhile, 500 grams of minced meat is sautéed with half a cup of vegetable oil. Frozen kakırdak (tail cartilage), crushed walnuts, allspice, and salt are added to the mixture. Each rested dough portion is shaped by hand into a round form. The filling is placed on one half, which is then folded over; additional filling is added and folded again, creating a layered pastry. In this way, the çörek gains its characteristic multi-layered structure. The tops are brushed with egg yolk and left to rest briefly. Once risen, the çörek is baked in the oven. Traditionally, this pastry was baked in stone ovens; today, it is generally prepared in electric ovens, although on rare occasions it is still baked in stone ovens.