Bougatsa Thessalonikis
This version of bougatsa, inspired by Thessaloniki’s famous pastry shops, is made into two golden parcels of crisp phyllo filled with creamy custard. Each bite is layered with buttery phyllo, a hint of caramelized sugar, and silky vanilla custard. Finished with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon, it’s the ultimate Greek breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 lb #4 phyllo pastry thawed and at room temperature
- 8 ounces unsalted butter melted
- 10 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 4 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup fine semolina flour
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- Pinch of salt
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- 2
Make the custard: In a saucepan, whisk together the milk, sugar, semolina, cornstarch, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat.
- 3
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Slowly add 1 cup of the hot custard to the eggs, whisking constantly to temper. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and whisk until smooth. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.
- 4
Assemble the phyllo parcels: Place one sheet of phyllo on a clean work surface. Brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Repeat with 4 more sheets, layering them neatly on top of one another.
- 5
For the 6th sheet, brush with butter, fold in half, brush again, and fold in half once more to form a square. Brush with butter and place the folded square in the center of the layered stack.
- 6
Spoon a third of the custard onto the folded phyllo square in the center. Fold the outer phyllo sheets over the filling to form a rectangle parcel. Brush the top with butter. Carefully flip the parcel over onto the parchment-lined baking tray, seam-side down. Brush with more butter.
- 7
Repeat the process with the remaining phyllo sheets and custard to form the second and third parcels.
- 8
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes so the custard can set.
- 9
Dust generously with confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon. Cut into cubes and serve warm or at room temperature.
Cook it from the original
This recipe comes from dimitrasdishes.com. Their page has the author’s own photos, notes and tips — the best place to cook it from.
Open the recipe on dimitrasdishes.com