My grandma’s banitsa
Banitsa is a traditional Bulgarian pastry bake that I absolutely love. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it’s totally fine to keep it in the fridge and easily reheat it in the oven. This is a bake that you put in the middle of the table where everyone can share, and I am always ready to fight anyone for the crunchy corner pieces. There are so many different way to prepare it and I think every family has their own style. The ingredients list is incredibly simple and it’s very easy to make.
This version is very unique and I have never seen it made like this anywhere else than in my grandma’s kitchen. I remember her making it when I was a kid but I never really saw her entire process. I was really happy that during my last trip back home we made it together, and I could watch her prepare it from scratch.
Making it according to this recipe will require 1 special ingredient and 1 hour of prep time. It’s not exactly the fast version I promised earlier but I will give a very easy alternative where you just mix the basic ingredients and you will be good to go. The alternative changes the texture slightly but is very delicious as well. If you have the time and you want to experiment with this bake, which some of you might have never even heard of before, give it a go and I promise you you will love it.
Ingredients
For the batter
1 liter whole milk
1 drop vegan rennet (stremsel in Dutch) / It’s ok if you are a little heavy handed and you happen to add more than a drop / I ordered mine here
3 eggs
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
Other ingredients
470g phyllo dough / If you are based in The Netherlands you can find it in any Turkish or Lebanese shop
ALTERNATIVE:
Mix 800g yoghurt + 500ml of water to form a watery yoghurt consistency. Add the eggs, oil and salt and start following the recipe from step 5.
Method
Put the milk in a pot and heat gently on low to medium heat. It will heat quickly so keep an eye on it, it shouldn’t boil. The way you know the milk is heated to the right temperature is when you put the tip of your pinky in the milk and count to 10 without feeling any pain or discomfort (be careful please). The milk should feel comfortable enough for you to handle keeping the tip of your pinky in. It shouldn’t feel too hot nor too cold. If you have a thermometer and want to be precise, it should heat to 44C. I like to transfer the milk to a big bowl after it’s been heated.
Once your milk is at the right temperature add the rennet and stir gently. Cover it with clingfilm and with a few kitchen towels. The milk should stay warm so leave it in the warmest room in your home for 1 hour. At this stage the enzymes in the rennet will make the proteins in the milk to split and coagulate (bind to one another).
3. When one hour has passed crack the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk. Add the olive oil and salt, and pour in with the curdled milk.
4. Stir everything gently and break down the curdled milk. Make sure to leave some chunks so don’t whisk to a very smooth consistency.
5. Ok enough with the science :) Now you will start folding the phyllo dough. Honestly, you can fold it in a very rough way but my grandma always folds it like this and I love how beautiful it looks in the tray. It’s the perfect mindfulness exercise too.
Start with greasing your baking tray with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. The phyllo dough sheets are quite wide and they will be difficult to handle so it’s best to cut them. Unroll the dough and lay it flat on a clean counter top. Find the middle and cut it in half. This will help you handle the individual sheets much easier. So, grab one phyllo sheet and start folding it (it’s the same type of fold as making a fan from a sheet of paper). Lay the folded phyllo sheet on your tray and repeat. Don’t worry if some of them break. It’s important that you leave some room, feather them out and not stack them too tightly.
6. Pre heat your oven to 200C.
Use a large spoon to scoop the batter and pour it on the phyllo dough. It will look like there is way too much liquid which is the exact right way it should look. Leave it to rest for 10 min and you will see air bubbles forming.
IMPORTANT: Right before you pop it in the oven run your vegetable oil bottle across the sides of the tray. This will ensure that the edges get nice and crispy.
Bake for 45min and if your oven bakes unevenly make sure to rotate the tray half way. I hope you love this!
