Bulgarian Banitsa Cheese Eggs (Print)

Flaky phyllo layered with creamy feta and eggs, baked golden and crisp for a savory delight.

# What you'll need:

→ Dairy

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

→ Eggs

05 - 4 large eggs

→ Pastry

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

→ Seasoning

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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the 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 the crumbled feta cheese.
03 - Unroll the phyllo dough and keep covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.
04 - Place one sheet of phyllo in the prepared dish and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat this step to create four buttered layers.
05 - Evenly spread one-quarter of the cheese and egg mixture over the phyllo layers.
06 - Add three to four more sheets of phyllo, buttering each sheet, then spread another portion of filling. Repeat layering and filling until all filling is used, finishing with three to four 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 Advice:

01 -
  • It's forgiving enough for a weeknight dinner but impressive enough to serve guests without apology.
  • One banitsa feeds a crowd, costs almost nothing, and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you didn't.
  • The crispy-flaky-creamy texture combination is genuinely addictive—leftovers rarely survive past lunch.
02 -
  • Phyllo tears when it's too cold or too dry—let it sit at room temperature in the package for an hour before opening, and keep it covered the whole time you work.
  • If your filling seems watery after mixing, it probably will be; this is normal because the feta releases moisture as it sits, and that liquid helps create the custardy center everyone craves.
  • Underbaked banitsa is soggy and disappointing; overbaked is still edible, so err toward that golden-brown end of the spectrum.
03 -
  • Room-temperature feta is easier to work with than cold, and it mixes more smoothly with the eggs—take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start.
  • If your phyllo tears, don't panic; patch it with a scrap and butter over the seam; nobody will ever know, and the finished pastry will still be flaky and delicious.
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