Original Yufka Handmade in Melbourne
Growing up in a remote village in Turkey, Jelal would help the woman of the village who would traditionally gather before the winter months to make filo also called Yufka. Making Yufka is a tedious process and it starts off with mixing flour, water and salt to make dough which is then divided up into small pieces around the size of a golf ball before laying it to rest. After the dough has sufficiently rested the women would then use a thin long rolling pin and knead the dough until it becomes paper-thin. This sheet of paper-thin Yufka is then briefly cooked on top of a hot plate and stored in a dry place to use in the coming harsh winter months.
When the winter sets in women in Jelal’s village reach for Yufka at mealtimes. Before Yufka can be consumed it needs to be softened up with a quick spray of water. This technique is used to soften up the Yufka which has been dried and stored similar to a sheet of dried pasta. Contact with water also prevents it from crumbling and enables the sheets of Yufka to be used to make other pastries like Borek or Gozleme.
Jelal migrated to Australia in 1981 with his wife Nursel. Soon after his arrival, he longed to keep his tradition alive by making Yufka in his backyard for special occasions and family gatherings. Having received some great feedback and demand for more Yufka Jelal knew that it was time to turn his village tradition into a professional business so that everyone else can also enjoy Yufka. He established Basak pastry in 1992, Basak meaning wheat and has never looked back.
From humble beginnings Basak Pastry is the pioneer of hand made Yufka in Australia and has grown to be the leading handmade traditional authentic artisan Yufka producer. Basak now supplies major cafes, restaurants, delicatessen and retail outlets in major Australian cities. Basak’s values are based on maintaining the traditional production process, quality and producing Yufka with a labour of love.
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