The dough is stretched so thin that experienced katmer makers can see their hand through it before folding in the filling.
A sheet of dough is stretched paper-thin, spread with clotted cream (kaymak) and crushed green pistachio, folded into a square, and griddle-cooked until the layers crisp and the pistachio inside stays just warm. Gaziantep's katmerci shops open at dawn and often sell out by mid-morning.
Why it's made this way: Like baklava, katmer draws on Gaziantep's abundant local pistachio harvest and its pastry chefs' generations-deep phyllo-stretching expertise, turning what could be a simple pastry into a technically demanding breakfast specialty.