Bougatsa Recipe

Bougatsa Chania Crete Greece by Authentic Food Quest

This bougatsa recipe is for a deliciously authentic flaky traditional Cretan breakfast pastry. Made with only 5 ingredients, the bougatsa is wrapped in a golden brown phyllo package, sprinkled with sugar. This complete recipe guide with pictures and video will transport your breakfast experience to Crete, Greece in about 25 minutes.

4.88 from 8 votes

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Course: Recipes

Cuisine: Greek

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Authentic Food Quest

Equipment

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Ingredients

8.8 ounces Greek Mizithra cheese
6 phyllo sheets
½ cup Whole milk
5 tbsp All Purpose flour
5 tbsp Corn oil for the mixture
2 tbsp Sugar

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Instructions

Prepare the Bougatsa Filling
Place the cheese into a mixing bowl
Add the five tablespoons of flour and milk into the bowl
Mix well until the flour is well incorporated into the cheese
Add the corn oil and mix again
Prepare the Phyllo Sheets
Count 6 phyllo sheets and place them on a flat surface
Fold the phyllo sheets to form a triangle and carefully slice off the excess and set aside
When you open up the phyllo sheets you should have a square
Using a pastry brush, lightly brush oil onto one phyllo sheet
Then brush the second phyllo sheet
Place a second phyllo sheet on top of the first one and brush again with oil.
Repeat the same process over again for the third phyllo sheet.
Once all three sheets have been brushed pour the mixture into the center of the phyllo sheets
Spread around the phyllo sheets leaving about 1 inch or 2.5 cm from the edges
Fold one corner of the phyllo sheets and then fold the opposite corner to meet in the middle
Repeat for the other sides and you should have a square - like a ‘square envelope’
Gently tap the envelope in the center to seal it
For the next three sheets, oil each one as before and place all three on top of each other
Gently take the cheese-filled envelope place it on opposite ends of the phyllo sheets, like a diamond
Brush with a little oil and fold again to make a slightly thicker square envelope
Using the pastry brush, apply a little oil on the bougatsa
Flip the bougatsa around so the folds are on the bottom and place it a well oiled baking tray
Brush a little oil and place in a preheated oven and let it bake for 20 -25 minutes, until golden brown
Remove bougatsa and let it rest for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Cut the bougatsa into squares and enjoy warm with a cup of coffee
Optional: Sprinkle granulated sugar over warm bougatsa before serving

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="xNVMk565" upload-date="2021-03-08T00:00:00.000Z" name="Bougatsa Recipe" description="This bougatsa recipe is for one of the most traditional breakfast pastries from Chania Crete. Unlike other versions of bougatsa across Greece, bougatsa in Chania is made with the local cheese known as mizithra cheese. We first discovered bougatsa in Chania Crete and tried it at Iordanis, the oldest and most famous bougatsa shop in town." player-type="default" override-embed="default"]

Notes

Don’t worry if the phyllo sheets break when folding the bougatsa. Simply put them together as they are not noticeable in the finished product.
Even though granulated sugar is traditionally used in Chania to sprinkle on bougatsa, powdered sugar and cinnamon are also used.

Nutrition