Bougatsa: Greek Custard Pie with Phylllo

Greek custard pie with phyllo pastry, featured image.

5 from 1 vote

Bougatsa: Greek Custard Pie with Phylllo

You don’t need to be a pastry chef to make amazing bougatsa, but you do need to know a few secrets. This easy bougatsa recipe will show you how to recreate the iconic Greek custard pie with phyllo and creamy custard filling. Just dust it with icing sugar and cinnamon, and enjoy a little bite of Greece right from your kitchen.

Prep Time45

Cook Time35

Total Time1 20

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 473kcal

Author: Makos

Ingredients

For the semolina custard:

¾ cup fine semolina
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 pinch salt
4 cups whole milk
¼ cup butter
2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanillin capsules

Optional (for the custard) :

3.5 oz white chocolate chopped, see note#1
2 egg yolks see note#2

For the phyllo:

1 package (of 12 sheets) phyllo Pastry 3 sheets per bougatsa parcel
⅔ cups butter melted, for brushing
Icing sugar for dusting
Ground cinnamon for dusting

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the semolina, sugar and salt to a pot and mix to combine. Pour in the milk, place the pot over medium heat, and cook while whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. At this point, you can also add the white chocolate and egg yolks, if using.
👉 To avoid scrambling the yolks, wait a few minutes for the semolina mixture to cool before adding them.
Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap touches the surface completely. 👉 This prevents a skin from forming.
Let the custard cool completely at room temperature.
👉 You can prepare the custard one day in advance and store it in the fridge until needed.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Once the custard has cooled, briefly whisk it to make it smooth and fluffy again.
Lay one sheet of filo on your work surface. Lightly brush it with melted butter, then fold it in half. Brush again with butter, then fold into thirds to form a rectangle. (Refer to the video above for visuals). Set this folded rectangle aside.
Lay a second sheet of filo, brush with butter, and place a third sheet on top. Brush again with butter. Place the folded rectangle in the center of the stacked filo sheets. Spoon about 1½ cups (330 g) of the custard onto the center and level the surface with the back of a spoon or spatula.
Fold one long side of the filo over the filling and lightly brush with butter. Fold the opposite long side over, brush again. Then fold the shorter sides toward the center to form a neat parcel.
Carefully flip the parcel over, seam side down, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with more melted butter and bake on the lower rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Let it cool slightly, cut into squares and serve warm sprinkled with icing sugar and ground cinnamon.

Video

Notes

⚠️ For better accuracy weighing the ingredients with a kitchen scale is recommended!

Note #1: If you use the white chocolate, decrease the amount of sugar by one third (instead of 150 grams use 100 grams) and omit the butter used in the filling.

Note #2: Egg yolks will give the custard a richer taste, but may make it just a bit less creamy.

👉 Want an even easier recipe? This Lazy Bougatsa is just as good (if not better) with zero the effort!

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Nutrition