Homemade Bougatsa Recipe

Bougatsa is a traditional Greek sweet that consists of layers of crispy filo pastry, filled with a delicious creamy custard, and dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar.

Here is our much loved family recipe, which I first shared a few years back on my former food blog Flavours & Flair.

Ingredients

  • 1 x packet filo pastry (375 grams) Insights Greece - Homemade Bougatsa Recipe
  • 250 x grams unsalted butter
  • 1 x litre full cream milk
  • 1 x cup fine semolina
  • 1 x cup caster sugar
  • 4 x eggs
  • 1 x tablespoon vanilla sugar
  • 2 x tablespoons, fresh lemon juice
  • cinnamon sugar, for dusting
  • icing sugar, for dusting

Method

  • Add 100 x grams of butter into saucepan and allow to melt on low heat. Add the semolina and stir for one minute with wooden spoon. 
  • In a separate saucepan, heat milk and add to butter and semolina mixture. Slowly add sugar and stir consistently. Allow the cream to thicken and then turn off heat.
  • In a bowl, whisk eggs and when cream has slightly cooled down, add whisked eggs into cream mixture with vanilla sugar and lemon juice. Stir quickly, so no lumps form in the cream.
  • Melt remaining butter and lightly grease large baking dish.
  • Place half the filo pastry on the bottom of the dish one by one, brushing each sheet of filo pastry with melted butter. 
  • Pour entire custard cream on top of filo and spread across entire dish.  
  • Using the rest of the filo pastry, begin placing each filo pastry on top of custard mixture, brushing each sheet again with melted butter until you have used up the entire packet.
  • Fold in the edges and make sure you brush the top filo layer with melted butter.
  • Bake in a 200 degrees (preheated oven) for 30 minutes, or until filo is golden brown.
  • Allow to slightly cool and dust with cinnamon and icing sugar to serve.  

Recipe and Images by IN+SIGHTS GREECE © (Copyright)