Bulgarian Banitsa Cheese Egg (Printable)

Flaky phyllo layers filled with creamy feta and egg mixture baked until golden and crisp.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 14 oz crumbled feta cheese
02 - 1 cup plain yogurt
03 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
04 - 3.4 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

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with melted butter.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gently fold in crumbled feta cheese.
03 - Unroll the phyllo dough and cover with a damp towel to prevent drying.
04 - Place one sheet of phyllo in the baking dish and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat for 3 more sheets, layering and buttering each.
05 - Spread one-quarter of the cheese and egg mixture evenly over the layered phyllo sheets.
06 - Add 3 to 4 more sheets of phyllo, buttering each, then spread another portion of filling. Repeat until all filling is used, finishing with 3 to 4 buttered phyllo sheets on top.
07 - Using a sharp knife, 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 - Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The phyllo shatters into buttery shards with every bite, making even a quiet breakfast feel like a celebration.
  • Youll use one bowl and your hands, no fancy equipment or complicated techniques required.
  • It tastes just as good at room temperature the next day, which means you can bake it ahead and still impress everyone.
  • The tangy feta and creamy yogurt filling is rich enough to satisfy but light enough that you wont feel weighed down.
02 -
  • Keep the phyllo covered with a damp towel at all times or it will crack and become impossible to work with, I ruined my first batch by ignoring this.
  • Do not skimp on the butter between layers, that is what creates the flaky texture and keeps everything from turning soggy.
  • Let the banitsa cool for at least ten minutes before cutting or the filling will spill out and the layers will slide apart.
03 -
  • Brush every single phyllo sheet with butter, even when your arm gets tired, because that is the only way to get crisp flaky layers.
  • Taste your filling before you assemble so you can adjust the salt and pepper, feta brands vary wildly in saltiness.
  • Use a serrated knife to score the top before baking, it cuts through the delicate phyllo without tearing.
Go back