Bulgarian Banitsa Savory Pastry (Printable)

Flaky phyllo pastry layered with savory feta and egg filling baked to golden perfection.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 14 oz feta cheese, crumbled
02 - 1 cup plain yogurt
03 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
04 - 3 1/2 tablespoons whole milk

→ Eggs

05 - 4 large eggs

→ Pastry

06 - 1 package (14 oz) phyllo dough, thawed

→ Seasoning

07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with melted butter.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk eggs, yogurt, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gently fold in crumbled feta cheese.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough and cover with a damp towel to keep from drying out.
04 - Place one sheet of phyllo in baking dish; brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat layering and buttering 3 more sheets.
05 - Spread one-quarter of the cheese and egg mixture evenly over the layered phyllo sheets.
06 - Add 3 to 4 phyllo sheets, buttering each, then spread another portion of filling. Repeat until filling is used, finishing with 3 to 4 buttered phyllo layers on top.
07 - Use a sharp knife to cut the assembled pastry into squares or diamond shapes.
08 - Pour any remaining melted butter evenly over the top.
09 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden brown and crisp.
10 - Let rest for 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Those impossibly crispy, buttery layers shatter when you bite into them, releasing the creamy cheese filling inside.
  • It's deceptively simple to make once you understand the layering, and it never fails to impress people who taste it.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 10-minute rest after baking or your banitsa will fall apart when you try to pick up a piece, no matter how perfectly you cut it.
  • Phyllo dough is only difficult if you treat it roughly; work gently and keep it covered, and it becomes your friend instead of your enemy.
03 -
  • Always cut your banitsa while it's still uncooked; hot phyllo will shatter and splinter, but cool banitsa cuts cleanly.
  • If you're worried about phyllo, practice with one package first; once you understand how gently to handle it, you'll never be nervous again.
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