Antalya Spread Pastry Description and Distinguishing Features of Antalya Scattered Pastry: Antalya Scattered Pastry is a special pastry that has become synonymous with Antalya and is traditionally offered at weddings, religious gatherings (mevlit), and funerals in the region. Formerly known as "fıtır börek," this pastry has its origins in the tradition of distributing alms (fitre) during the Ramadan months and is known as a food item offered with the intention of charity in the local culture. The dough of Antalya Scattered Pastry consists of flour, salt, and water. The dough is meticulously rolled out to paper-thin consistency entirely by hand, without the use of a rolling pin or a dough roller. The filling of Antalya Scattered Pastry comes in two varieties: minced meat (kıyma) or cheese. However, it is also observed that, based on demand, different fillings are used in its production today. Pastries made with various fillings are still marketed as Antalya Scattered Pastry.Having a long history and requiring skillful craftsmanship in its production, Antalya Scattered Pastry is closely tied to a geographical region for its reputation. Preparation of the Dough: A mixture of flour, salt, and water is kneaded 2-3 times with 7-10 minute resting intervals until it reaches the consistency of an earlobe. The dough is then rolled into a cylinder, and portions weighing 120 g are cut using a scale. These dough portions are placed on greased trays, brushed with sunflower oil, and covered with plastic wrap. The dough is left in the refrigerator for one day. After resting, the portions are coated with a mixture of 500 g salted butter and 1 liter of sunflower oil. Alternatively, only sunflower oil can be used for coating, with 1-1.5 tablespoons of oil used for each portion. The coated portions are then rolled out on a marble surface with a rolling pin until they take on a circular shape, about the size of a plate (12-25 cm). The center of the dough should be slightly thicker than the edges. The dough is then stretched to paper-thin consistency by tossing it in the air 6-7 times without the use of a rolling pin or a dough roller. Preparation of the Filling: Antalya Scattered Pastry is traditionally made with two types of fillings: minced meat and cheese. However, it is also observed that different fillings are used based on demand. For the minced meat filling, onions and minced meat are separately sautéed in pans and later combined, then cooked together for an additional 5 minutes. Black pepper, parsley, and salt are added to the mixture. For the cheese filling, unsalted cottage cheese is diluted with milk to reduce its density. Other ingredients can be prepared separately or sautéed with onions. Preparing the Pastry: The thinly stretched dough is placed on a marble surface by pulling its edges. The bottom side is folded towards the center, followed by folding the two sides towards the center, creating a pocket for the filling. Each portion of dough, weighing 120-130 g and stretched to a diameter of 50-60 cm, is filled with 60-80 g of minced meat filling or 100-120 g of cheese filling, or any other preferred filling. The edges are then folded over each other, first from the top and then from the bottom, creating a rectangular shape. The prepared pastries are placed on a greased tray made of sheet metal and baked in a preheated oven at 200-220 °C until both the top and bottom are golden brown, for a maximum of 10 minutes. Once baked, the scattered pastry is sliced and ready for serving. Powdered sugar can be sprinkled on the cheese pastry as desired.