Banitsa (2024)

This is the easiest version of a traditional Bulgarian phyllo feta pie, that we call Banitsa 🇧🇬. Here, thin sheets of phyllo (aka filo) dough are stuffed with salty feta, rolled up into a spiral 🌀, painted with butter, and baked until golden and delicious. One bite into the flaky, crispy dough reveals a rich, creamy center, and your life will be forever changed 😉. This puffed pastry has such deep meaning to me. It’s a nostalgic dish that my grandma would often make, sometimes with pumpkin or apple for a sweet variation. Many different cultures have their own stuffed phyllo dough pastries, such as burek and tiropita, and this recipe has been passed down throughout generations in my family 👩‍👧 and was taught to me by my grandma.

Why You’ll Love Banitsa

If you love flaky, buttery, stuffed pastries, you will love this Banitsa, which is stuffed in a tangy and salty feta and yogurt mixture, similar to burek and tiropita. Phyllo dough is an incredible ingredient, which you can find in the freezer aisle in most grocery stores; it’s the ultimate hack for making a quick and easy pastry at home. When brushed with butter and baked, phyllo dough transforms into crisp, flaky golden pastry sheets 🥐 that shatter into a million delicious crumbs when bit into. I love how impressive this dish looks, but it’s really so easy to make 🤫.

How to Prepare Banitsa

👩‍🍳 Line a round baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease with melted butter. Preheat the oven to 400F.

🧊 Thaw the phyllo sheets as per the package directions, and meanwhile, start preparing the ingredients before you unroll the thawed phyllo.

🧀 In a large bowl, break the feta into chunks using a fork. Add the eggs and mix well with the fork. Add the yogurt and baking soda and mix well.

🧈 Place one sheet of thawed phyllo on your work surface and brush with some of the melted butter. Place another sheet on top of the first sheet and butter it as well. Add a few big spoonfuls of the yogurt-feta mixture onto the top phyllo sheet and spread it around.

꩜ Tightly roll up the phyllo sheet lengthwise to form a long rope. Roll that “rope” into a spiral and place it in the center of your baking dish. Repeat this process with the remaining phyllo sheets and yogurt-feta mixture and wrap each stuffed “rope” around the center to create a coiled pattern, until the baking dish is full.

🔥 Lightly brush the top of the Banitsa with melted butter and bake until flakey and golden, 45 to 50 minutes, depending on the oven. It should be nice and light and golden on the top and bottom. I bake mine uncovered on the middle rack. Let it cool a bit, and enjoy.

Variations and Substitutions for Banitsa

1. You can use any yogurt you like, but I love Bulgarian yogurt or Balkan-style yogurt.
2. Bulgarian white cheese looks and feels just like feta so feel free to use any white, crumbly, salty, cheese you like 🧀.
3. Instead of butter, you can use any cooking oil. I prefer butter 🧈, but oil is totally acceptable.
4. Any baking dish will work here: a 12-inch round baking dish helps with shaping the dish, but you can form the same coil pattern on a baking sheet.
5. Instead of shaping the dish into a coil 🌀, you can also bake the rolled “logs” 🪵 side by side in straight lines on a baking sheet. This can be an easier method.

Best Served With

• It’s traditional to serve Banitsa alongside Balkan-style yogurt.
• If serving this dish as part of a spread for entertaining, also consider: Roasted Bell Peppers 🫑, Marinated Feta Stuffed Olives 🫒, and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms 🍄.
• If you love a savory breakfast, enjoy a slice of this pastry with a cup of coffee ☕️.

Common Questions