Greek Bougatsa
a deliciously cream filled pastry! 🇬🇷
Want to impress a foodie and a history buff? Serve them bougatsa. This beloved Greek pastry, with roots in northern cities like Serres and Thessaloniki, is flaky, creamy, and best enjoyed hot and dusted in powdered sugar and cinnamon. My go-to version is filled with a rich semolina custard made with milk, sugar, butter, and just egg yolks for extra silkiness. The phyllo gets golden and crisp in the oven, while the center stays luxuriously soft, making it perfect for breakfast, dessert, or anything in between. It’s one of those simple pleasures that feels special every time.
This recipe first appeared in my cookbook All You Can Greek. Grab a copy HERE!! (and if you leave a book review I would love you forever)
Makes about 6 parcels, depending on size you make them!
Ingredients:
For the custard filling:
590 ml (2 1/2 cups) whole milk, room temperature
100 g (½ cup) fine semolina (coarse will make the filling grainy)
67 g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
2 egg yolks, whisked
60 g (4 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Lemon zest (optional but so good)
For assembly + topping
1 box phyllo dough, thawed (see notes below)
100–120 g (½ cup) melted butter (for brushing)
Cinnamon (for topping)
Powdered sugar (for topping)
Instructions:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk and sugar together until just starting to steam. Gradually whisk in the semolina, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens (about 5–7 minutes). Once thick, remove from heat and quickly whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla.
2. Add the cold cubed butter and stir until fully melted and incorporated. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool and thicken.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Keep your phyllo sheets covered with a damp towel while you work to prevent drying out.
4. Lay out one sheet of phyllo on a clean surface. If you're using very thin phyllo (like #4), stack two sheets, brushing lightly with melted butter between the layers.
Spoon 4 heaping tablespoons of custard directly in the center of the lower third of the sheet, about 2 inches above the bottom edge and centered side to side.
Use a knife or spoon to even out the custard into a square or rectangle.
5. Now fold like a parcel! Fold the bottom edge up and over the filling. Fold in the left and right sides to fully enclose the custard. Roll the parcel upward to form a tidy rectangle. Brush lightly with butter as you fold, as needed, to seal the layers and prevent tearing.
7. Place the parcels seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops with melted butter.
8. Bake on the middle rack at 400°F (200°C) for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp on all sides.
9. Let your bougatsa cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Dust generously with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Enjoy!!
Freezing Instructions:
To freeze before baking:
Assemble the parcels as instructed but do not bake.
Place them seam-side down on a parchment-lined tray and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag, separating layers with parchment.
Do not thaw before baking—bake straight from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 25–30 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Other Tips:
Sometimes I’m lazy and want to just make the custard first ahead of time and you can do that too! Simply refrigerate the custard up to 2 days ahead and assemble/bake fresh.