Sütlaç (Turkish Baked Rice Pudding)

About This Recipe

Sütlaç is the quintessential Turkish dessert — a stovetop rice pudding thickened with rice flour, poured into individual earthenware bowls and finished under a broiler until the surface develops a deep caramel-brown skin. That burnt top is not a mistake but the whole point; its slightly bitter caramel edge contrasts perfectly with the sweet, creamy pudding beneath. Turkish families serve sütlaç cold from the fridge, and the contrast between cold pudding and caramelised crust makes it irresistible. It is a staple of Turkish milk pudding shops (muhallebici) alongside kazandibi. The dessert is simple in ingredients — rice, milk, sugar and vanilla — but technique makes all the difference.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 80 gshort-grain rice (baldo or arborio)
• 200 mlwater
• 1 litrewhole milk
• 120 gcaster sugar
• 2 tbsprice flour or cornflour
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook rice

   Rinse rice and combine with 200 ml water in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring, until water is almost absorbed, about 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Add milk

   Add the milk, bring to a gentle simmer and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 25–30 minutes until the mixture thickens noticeably.

3. 3

   Add sugar and thickener

   Mix rice flour with 3 tbsp cold milk until smooth. Stir into the pudding along with the sugar, vanilla and salt. Cook a further 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. 4

   Pour and cool

   Pour the pudding into individual oven-safe ceramic bowls. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

5. 5

   Broil the top

   Position the oven rack close to the broiler. Place cold bowls under the broiler on maximum heat for 3–5 minutes until the surface is deeply caramelised and spotted brown. Watch constantly.

6. 6

   Chill and serve

   Return to the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve cold.

Variations

• •

  Fırın sütlaç: baked in a tray-style dish rather than individual bowls.

• •

  Add 1 tbsp rosewater along with the vanilla for a floral Ottoman version.

• •

  Some cooks add a stick of mastic (damla sakızı) for a resinous pine note.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered. Do not freeze.

Frequently Asked Questions