How to make banitsa (Bulgarian pastry)

This recipe will serve 4 people and can be prepared in less than an hour.

Ingredients for the classic recipe

- 1 packet of phyllo dough, a low fat pastry, (Bulgarian "fini kori" or phyllo from the frozen desserts section)
- 400 grams of white cheese (Bulgarian sirene or Feta cheese), approximately 1 lb
- 3 eggs
- 100 grams of butter (3 tablespoons)
- 1 cup yogurt

Procedure

1. Mix the eggs, the grated butter, the crumbled white cheese, in small pieces, add the yogurt and mix again.

2. In a buttered pan, lay a layer of the phyllo dough, spread a layer of the mixture, and continue alternating layers so that the phyllo and the mixture are finished about the same time.

3. Finish with a layer of phyllo dough.

4. Mix the last egg with water and stir. Pour the mixture over the banitsa and make sure there are no pieces of the phyllo dough left dry.

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (390 °F) for 40 minutes, or until golden.

Alternative: Instead of piling the phyllo leaves on top of each other, just spread the mixture on the phyllo, top with a little soda and roll two of the leaves up around the mixture. The rolled phyllo is then aligned in a spiral in the pan. Sprinkle with some oil before baking.

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Here is a healthier version of the recipe, modified by me:

Ingredients

- 1 packet of phyllo dough, a low fat pastry, (Bulgarian "fini kori" or phyllo from the frozen desserts section). Trader Joe's sells phyllo.
- 200 grams of white cheese (Bulgarian sirene or Feta cheese), approximately 0.5 lb. Soak the cheese in water for 5-10 minutes to make it less salty.
- 6 egg whites (you can add one yolk if you wish)
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 cup yogurt

Procedure

1. Mix the eggs, the olive oil, the crumbled white cheese, in small pieces, add the yogurt and mix again.

2. Spread the mixture on the phyllo (2-4 layers), roll the leaves up around the mixture. The rolled phyllo is then aligned in a spiral in the pan.

3. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (400 °F) for 10 minutes until it the dough rises, then bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, or until golden.

References:

Cookbook:Banitsa - Wikibooks, open books for an open world http://bit.ly/T3Vi1R
Banitsa (Banitza, Banica) http://bit.ly/T3VgHq