Sütlaç – Turkish Baked Rice Pudding Recipe
Sütlaç is a delicate dessert made from rice cooked in milk and baked in small ramekins until the top is lightly browned. In Turkey it’s often served after lunch in family restaurants, sprinkled with cinnamon. The taste is similar to classic rice pudding, but baking gives it a caramelized, slightly scorched top.
This version of rice pudding is baked in individual ramekins, which gives it a characteristic caramelized top and a slightly smoky note, while the inside stays creamy and delicate. It’s a simple way to bring a classic Turkish restaurant dessert into your home kitchen.
Chef's tips
Use short-grain rice – it releases more starch and gives a creamier texture. Stir the rice often while cooking so it doesn’t catch on the bottom and burn. Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste; the dessert should be clearly sweet, because it’s served well chilled, which slightly mutes the sweetness.
How to serve
Serve well chilled, straight from the fridge. Sprinkle with cinnamon, chopped pistachios, walnuts or hazelnuts. For a more festive version, add a few fresh berries or a spoonful of fruit compote on the side.
Ingredients
- rice short-grain, e.g. risotto rice - 80 g
- water for parboiling the rice - 200 ml
- milk cow’s milk, 2–3.2% fat - 1 l
- sugar - 100 g
- cornstarch or potato starch - 1.5 tablespoons
- vanilla extract or vanilla sugar - 0.5 teaspoons
- egg yolk for browning the top - 1 piece
- ground cinnamon for sprinkling, optional
Preparation
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under running water until the water is almost clear.
- Pour the water into a pot, add the rice and bring to a boil. Cook over low heat for 8–10 minutes, until the rice absorbs most of the water and is slightly tender but not fully cooked.
- Add the milk and vanilla, stir. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring from time to time so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom.
- Reduce the heat and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring often, until the rice is soft and the milk has slightly thickened.
- In a small bowl, mix the starch with 3–4 tablespoons of cold milk (taken from the pot or fresh) until there are no lumps.
- Add the sugar to the pot with the rice and stir until dissolved. Pour in the starch mixture and cook for another 3–4 minutes over low heat, stirring, until the mixture clearly thickens to the consistency of a thick sauce.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Pour the hot mixture into ovenproof ramekins, leaving a little space from the rim.
- Beat the egg yolk in a small bowl and lightly brush the top of each portion with a pastry brush or teaspoon.
- Place the ramekins on a baking tray and pour hot water onto the tray so it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins (water bath).
- Put into an oven preheated to 200°C (top–bottom heat or ideally with top grill function) and bake for 8–12 minutes, until the tops are browned in spots. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
- Remove from the oven, cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Before serving, you can sprinkle with cinnamon.
Storage
Sütlaç przechowuj w lodówce, przykryty folią lub pokrywką, do 3 dni. Podawaj schłodzony; nie nadaje się do mrożenia, bo po rozmrożeniu zmienia się konsystencja.
