Greece: Bougatsa

Demitra Stappas

Bougatsa: Greece

In my Greek culture, the dessert is just as important as the rest of the meal! For Greeks, pastries are definitely a necessity during a holiday, a celebration or even when simply visiting friends or family. While there are dozens of Greek desserts that exist, one of my personal favorites is called Bougatsa. The best place to enjoy one is obviously in Greece, so when I spend my summers there having Bougatsa is a must. I love eating it in the morning for breakfast after my grandmother, or yiayia as we say in Greek, picks it up hot and fresh from the bakery on my island. I sometimes even enjoy one while relaxing on the beach on a beautiful summer day. This dessert always makes me think of my grandparents and my summers in Greece. Back home in Canada, I mostly enjoy this delicious dessert during the Christmas holidays or at family gatherings.

You can find Bougatsa at any Greek bakery in Montreal, though homemade is always better! This rich pastry is basically made of phyllo dough filled with creamy custard topped off with confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon. Most popular in northern parts of Greece such as Thessaloniki, a savoury version of this treat is served in the southern island of Crete, where the pastry is filled with myzithra cheese instead of cream.

Not only is this pastry scrumptious, it is also very quick to prepare! I hope you enjoy this dessert as much as I do. A word of advice: eating this dessert can get a little messy so make sure to have lots of napkins!!!

THE RECIPE

·         Ingredients

• -1/4 cup of butter
• -2/3 cup of fine semolina
• -4 cups of milk, scalded
• -2/3 cup of sugar
• -2 eggs
• -2 egg yolks
• -1 teaspoon of vanilla
• -1 lb phyllo dough
• -2/3 cup of melted unsalted butter
• -Confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon for the topping

·         Procedure

1. Makes 8-10 Servings
2. Preparation Time: 30 minutes
3. Baking Time: 30 minutes

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add semolina and stir over medium heat 1-2 minutes. Pour in the hot milk all at once, stirring vigorously. Then add the sugar and simmer, stirring until the cream is thick and has the consistency of custard. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, stirring occasionally to avoid the cream forming a skin on top. Beat the eggs and egg yolks slightly and stir into the cream along with the vanilla. Press a piece of plastic wrap against its surface to prevent a skin from forming and set aside. Spread half the phyllo dough over the bottom of a greased baking pan (the size of the phyllo sheets) one on top of the other, brushing each one with the melted butter. Pour the custard on top and cover with the remaining sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with butter again. Bake the Bougatsa in an oven at 400˚F for approximately 30 minutes or until the surface is golden brown. With a sharp knife cut it into bite size pieces and serve hot, sprinkled generously with confectioner’s sugar and a little cinnamon.

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