Chef Dimitra
Asia Minor Ekmek Kataifi (Εκμέκ Κανταΐφι)
Asia Minor ekmek kataifi is built in three clear layers: crisp syruped kataifi, thick semolina custard, and cold kaimaki cream under pistachios.
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Politiko Saragli (Σαραγλί της Πόλης)
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Saragli tis Polis is the City's rolled baklava: walnut, cinnamon, clove, thin phyllo, and a tight dowel roll that keeps every syruped slice in its coil.
Pastries & Cookies
Greek
Christmas
Holiday
Celebration
45 min
Active Time
55 min cook•1 hr 40 min total
Yield30 pieces
Saragli tis Polis is the City's rolled baklava, phyllo wrapped around walnuts, cinnamon, and a whisper of clove, then gathered into ridges before it meets the oven. It belongs to the Politiki table, the Constantinopolitan register where butter, spice, and syrup know exactly how much room to take.
The roll is the whole matter. You wrap the phyllo around a thin dowel firmly, then press the ends inward so the pastry crinkles and grips the filling. Roll it loose and the spiral opens after baking, the walnuts tumble out, and the piece loses its name. Roll it properly and each slice holds like a little coil, crisp at the edges and syruped through the middle.
Use good phyllo, fresh walnuts, and butter that smells clean and sweet. Λίγα και καλά, a few things, and good ones. In my Thessaloniki kitchen this is Christmas work, but not difficult work. It asks for a steady hand, a covered stack of phyllo, and patience while the syrup settles overnight.
Saragli is part of the syruped phyllo family carried through the kitchens of Constantinople and Asia Minor, where rolled and coiled baklava forms sat beside tray-cut baklava on celebration tables. Its name is linked to the Turkish sarma, meaning wrapped or rolled, a clue to the Ottoman household technique that Greek cooks of the City kept and made their own. In northern Greek refugee families after 1922, saragli remained a holiday sweet because it stretched costly nuts and butter into many precise pieces without losing ceremony.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
phyllo pastry
Quantity
450g
thawed overnight in the refrigerator
unsalted butter
Quantity
250g
melted and clarified
walnuts
Quantity
350g
finely chopped, not powdered
dry breadcrumbs
Quantity
60g
caster sugar
Quantity
70g
ground cinnamon
Quantity
2 teaspoons
ground clove
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
granulated sugar
Quantity
500g
water
Quantity
350ml
Greek honey
Quantity
80g
lemon peel
Quantity
1 strip
lemon juice
Quantity
1 tablespoon
cinnamon stick
Quantity
1 small
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| phyllo pastrythawed overnight in the refrigerator | 450g |
| unsalted buttermelted and clarified | 250g |
| walnutsfinely chopped, not powdered | 350g |
| dry breadcrumbs | 60g |
| caster sugar | 70g |
| ground cinnamon | 2 teaspoons |
| ground clove | 1/4 teaspoon |
| granulated sugar | 500g |
| water | 350ml |
| Greek honey | 80g |
| lemon peel | 1 strip |
| lemon juice | 1 tablespoon |
| cinnamon stick | 1 small |
Equipment Needed
- •thin wooden dowel, about 6mm to 8mm thick
- •metal baking pan, 33cm by 23cm
- •pastry brush
Instructions
- 1
Make the syrup
Put the sugar, water, lemon peel, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Bring to a steady boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 8 minutes. Stir in the honey off the heat, then leave the syrup to cool completely. Remove the peel and cinnamon before using.
- 2
Prepare the filling
Mix the walnuts, breadcrumbs, caster sugar, cinnamon, and clove in a bowl. The nuts should be fine enough to roll neatly, but still have small pieces under the tooth. Powdered walnuts turn heavy and pasty.
- 3
Ready the phyllo
Heat the oven to 160C. Brush a 33cm by 23cm metal baking pan with clarified butter. Unroll the phyllo and keep it covered with a barely damp towel while you work, because dry phyllo cracks before you can persuade it into a coil.
- 4
Roll on the dowel
Lay one sheet of phyllo on the counter with a long side facing you. Brush lightly with butter, lay a second sheet on top, and brush again. Scatter 3 tablespoons of walnut filling over the sheet, leaving a clean 3cm strip at the far edge. Set a thin wooden dowel along the near edge and roll the phyllo around it firmly, but without crushing. This is the step that decides saragli. A tight roll keeps the spiral closed when you slice; a loose one opens in the syrup and spills its walnuts.
- 5
Crinkle and place
Push both ends of the roll gently toward the center so the phyllo gathers into a neat crinkle, then slide out the dowel. Place the roll seam-side down in the buttered pan. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and filling, setting the rolls close together.
- 6
Cut and butter
With a sharp knife, cut the rolls into 4cm pieces while they are still raw. Pour the remaining clarified butter evenly over the top, especially along the cuts. Let the butter settle into the layers for 5 minutes before baking.
- 7
Bake slowly
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the saragli is deep gold and crisp all the way through, not just browned on top. If the top colors too quickly, lower the oven to 150C for the last 10 minutes. Pale phyllo will drink syrup and go limp.
- 8
Syrup the rolls
Pour the cooled syrup over the hot saragli as soon as it comes out of the oven. Spoon syrup over any dry corners. Leave it uncovered for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight, until the pastry has taken in the syrup and the tops are still crisp.
Chef Tips
- •Choose walnuts that smell sweet, never bitter or dusty. Old walnuts ruin syrup sweets faster than a clumsy hand does.
- •Clarify the butter if you can. The milk solids brown before the phyllo finishes baking, while clear butter slips between the sheets and keeps them crisp.
- •Saragli is better after a night uncovered at room temperature. Cover it tightly and the top softens, which is a pity after all that good rolling.
Advance Preparation
- •Thaw the phyllo overnight in the refrigerator, still sealed, then bring it to room temperature for 1 hour before opening.
- •The syrup can be made 2 days ahead and kept chilled. Bring it back to cool room temperature before pouring over the hot pastry.
- •Saragli keeps well for 5 days at room temperature, uncovered or loosely covered with parchment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 60g)
Calories
270 calories
Total Fat
15 g
Saturated Fat
5 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
9 g
Cholesterol
20 mg
Sodium
90 mg
Total Carbohydrates
32 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
22 g
Protein
3 g
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