Best Banitsa Recipes

BANITSA WITH WHITE CHEESE (BULGARIAN BANITSA WITH PHYLLO PASTRY)

Steps:

• 1. Cheese filling preparation: Beat the eggs and the pinch of baking soda, than add crumbed (or crushed) white cheese and then the yoghurt.
• 2. Spiral Banitsa (Vita Banitsa)/ Traditional preparation.
• 3. Use a round pan +-40cm diameter (the bigger the better).
• 4. Take 12 pastry sheets (phyllo pastry).Grease bottom of a pan with butter.
• 5. Spread a sheet, put a 2-3 small cubes of butter (or margarine), and spread the filling. Roll the sheet and place it in the middle of the pan (as a beginning of the spiral).
• 6. Do all the sheets the same way and join it with the end of the first sheet, making your spiral bigger and bigger.
• 7. When you out the last sheet and finish the spiral and fill the pan pore a tea cup of milk over the spiral.
• 8. Bake in moderate oven (180 ºC) for 45-50 minute
• 9. When it is ready take it out of the oven and brush with water the surface and cover with a cloth until it cools down.
• 10. Serve with an extra small bowl of plain yoghurt.
• Or (lazy way of preparation).
• 1. Take 12 pastry sheets (phyllo).Grease bottom of a pan with butter, no need of a round pan.
• 2. Place the first 3 sheets, spread the top sheet with butter, and spread first 1/3rd of the filling.
• 3. Place 2 more sheets and brush with butter spread 2nd third of the filling.
• 4. Top with 2 more sheets and brush with butter and spread last third of the filling.
• 5. The top last layer of filling cover with last sheets.
• 6. Cut in 9 or 12 squares and pore 1 cup of milk.
• 7. Bake in moderate oven (180 ºC) for 45-50 minute
• 8. When it is ready take it out of the oven and brush with water the surface and cover with a cloth until it cools down.
• 9. Serve with an extra small bowl of plain yoghurt.

BANITSA

Steps:

• Mix feta, ricotta and egg together. In a 9x13 inch pan, layer 4 sheets of phyllo dough brushing butter between each layer. spread 1/3 cheese mixture and continue layering phyllo and cheese mixture (like lasagna) until cheese mixture is gone. place a final layer of phyllo dough on top and lightly score the top layer along the lines that you intend to cut. Bake banitsa at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and then cut while warm.