Bougatsa me krema Thessalonikis – Bougatsa with crema
“Bougatsa is a much-loved Greek pastry and one that has become synonymous with Thessaloniki. You will find bougatsa in nearly every bakery and cafe, baked fresh daily. The name is derived from the Turkish word bourek, which refers to a type of savoury or sweet pastry made with thin layers of dough. Thessaloniki is famous for its bougatsa variations, including savoury varieties filled with cheese or meat, but I love the sweet, custard-filled bougatsa best.” – Meni Vale
Makes about 18
12 sheets store‑bought filo pastry
200g butter, melted, for brushing
icing sugar and ground cinnamon, to serve
Crema
1 litre milk
240g caster sugar
150g fine semolina
3 egg yolks
60g butter, cold, diced
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
To make the crema, put the milk, sugar and semolina in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring until it has the consistency of custard. Do not rush this as you don’t want to burn the milk. Take off the heat and add the yolks one at a time, whisking well after each addition, then whisk in the butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest (if using). Cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin forming and allow to cool to room temperature.
Lightly grease a baking tray about 32 × 24cm. Layer half the filo sheets on it, one on top of the other, brushing each with melted butter as you go. Pour on
the crema, smoothing it out evenly, and cover with the remaining six filo sheets, again brushing the top of each with the melted butter. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut into small squares and dust generously with icing sugar alone or a mixture of icing sugar and ground cinnamon.
Note: You can prepare the bougatsa the day before and refrigerate it to bake the next day. It also freezes well, so you can assemble and freeze for up to two months and then bake from frozen. You can also make two smaller bougatsas (bake one and freeze one) or even individual servings.
This is an edited extract from Thessaloniki by Meni Vale published by Hardie Grant Books.
📷 Stephanie Stamatis.
