Bulgarian Banitsa Phyllo Cheese (Printable)

Savory phyllo layers combined with feta, eggs, and yogurt baked until golden and crisp.

# What you 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 (14 oz) phyllo dough, thawed

→ Seasoning

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

# How to make it:

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 phyllo dough and cover with a damp towel to prevent drying.
04 - Place one sheet of phyllo dough in the baking dish and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat this step three more times, layering and buttering each sheet.
05 - Spread one-quarter of the cheese and egg mixture evenly over the phyllo layers.
06 - Add 3 to 4 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with melted butter, then spread another portion of the filling. Repeat until all filling is used, finishing with 3 to 4 layers of buttered phyllo on top.
07 - Using a sharp knife, cut the assembled layers 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.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • Golden, shattering crust that stays crispy even when served at room temperature hours later.
  • The cheese filling is creamy and tangy, never dry or rubbery because of the yogurt-egg magic.
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect, especially once you stop fearing the phyllo.
02 -
  • Phyllo is forgiving once you stop expecting it to be delicate—it's tougher than it looks, and tears can be hidden under the next layer.
  • The filling should never touch unwrapped phyllo directly or the bottom will get soggy; always buffer it with buttered layers on both sides.
03 -
  • Score or cut the banitsa before baking, not after, so the knife doesn't scatter crispy phyllo all over your plate.
  • If your phyllo package has already started drying out in the store, buy two packages instead of wrestling with brittle dough.
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