Flaky katmer with kaymak and crushed pistachios on a copper platter in a sunlit stone cafe.

Last updated: 18 October 2026

Pistachio Pastry

Name: Pistachio Pastry
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1 ⅔ cups (200 g) Bread flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; ¾ tsp (4 g) Table salt; ½ cup Warm water, added gradually to the dough; Olive oil, for coating the dough and work surface, as needed; ½ cup Unsalted clarified butter, melted; for the filling and brushing; ⅓ cup (75 g) Fine granulated sugar; 1 ¼ cups (150 g) Unsalted shelled pistachios, measured whole, then crushed; 5 oz Kaymak or thick clotted cream; Crushed unsalted pistachios, to finish, as needed

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Katmer

Paper-thin pastry folds around pistachios, kaymak and sugar, then bakes until golden and crisp. The handmade dough rests before stretching, while melted clarified butter enriches the delicate layers.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 10 min
Rest: 2 hr
Total: 2 hr 40 min
Servings: 2

Ingredients

Equipment

A broad, smooth work surface gives you room to stretch the dough without folding it back on itself. A rolling pin starts the sheet; your hands finish stretching it paper-thin.

Method

Mix the flour and table salt in a bowl. Add the warm water gradually, mixing until the dough comes together. Knead on the work surface until smooth, elastic and soft. Use the feel of the dough as your guide rather than pouring in all the water at once.
Divide the dough into two equal balls. Coat generously with olive oil, put on a baking-paper-lined tray and press down gently. Cover with a damp cloth and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Heat the oven to 465°F, conventional heat. Keep one dough ball covered while you roll the other as thinly as possible on a lightly oiled work surface. Gently stretch it with your hands into a paper-thin rough square.
Drizzle the pastry with some of the melted clarified butter, reserving enough to brush the tops of both parcels. Scatter over half the sugar and half the crushed pistachios. Dot with half the kaymak, leaving a 4-inch border around the edges. Fold the sides in like an envelope so the filling is completely covered. Brush the top with clarified butter and turn the parcel over onto a baking-paper-lined tray. Repeat with the second dough ball and remaining filling.
Bake for 7–8 minutes, until golden and crisp. Cut into squares, scatter with the finishing pistachios and serve straight away.