Bougatsa Recipe – Greek Phyllo Custard Pie (Air Fryer or Oven). Discover the secret to making the perfect bougatsa (Μπουγάτσα) – a delicious Greek pastry filled with creamy custard and topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon and icing sugar. This easy recipe will have you enjoying this delectable treat in no time!
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When I think of my all-time favorite desserts I seem to gravitate towards creamy vanilla vs chocolate ones. I think Bougatsa (Μπουγάτσα) ranks waaay up there on my top 10 list.
WHAT’S BOUGATSA?
If you haven’t grown up in Greece you may not be familiar with this popular pastry that’s frequently eaten for breakfast. Picture crisp phyllo pastry filled with a silky creamy custard served warm with a dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon – simply heavenly!
Bougatsa shares a lot of similarities with another popular Greek recipe, galaktoboureko. Both are custard based but bougatsa is thinner and usually served for breakfast or a snack, while galaktoboureko is soaked with syrup and served for dessert.
While Bougasta is frequently made as a large pie with layers of pastry (similar to spanakopita) which is then sliced, I like to make smaller individual hand pies. This makes them that much easier to shape and grab as a snack plus it increases the ratio of crisp pastry to creamy filling. Win-win my friends!
Bougatsa (Greek Custard Pie) Ingredients
I have tweaked the traditional Greek recipe to simplify it and make it just that bit easier. Let’s take a look at what you will need.
- Sweetened condensed milk adds just the right level of sweetness
- Heavy cream (a.k.a double cream) or you can use evaporated milk which is very popular in Greece
- Milk (semi-skimmed or whole)
- Eggs to thicken the custard
- Vanilla bean paste or vanilla powder
- Lemon zest
- Fine semolina (not to be confused with cornmeal / polenta!). Avoid using coarse semolina which makes the custard texture a bit grainy
- Pinch salt
- Unsalted butter
- Phyllo pastry (a.k.a filo): you can use fresh or frozen phyllo dough
- Melted butter, to brush on the pastry
- Powdered sugar and ground cinnamon, to sprinkle
HOW TO MAKE GREEK BOUGATSA STEP BY STEP
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Make the filling
Place the condensed milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest into a pan. Whisk together to combine, add the semolina and stir it in.
Stir the custard mixture continuously over medium heat until it thickens and the whisk leaves a trail over the surface. This can take 5-7 minutes, but don’t be tempted to rush things by turning the heat way up – you don’t want the custard to be boiling or burn.
Take off the heat and stir in the butter. Place a piece of cling film directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and set aside to cool slightly.
Prepare the pastry
Take the phyllo out of the fridge to come to room temperature. Take the sheets of phyllo out of the packaging and keep them covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel to prevent from drying out.
Place one phyllo sheet on your worktop and use a pastry brush to lightly drizzle melted butter over it. Top with a second sheet, sprinkle with butter and fold in half to make a square shape.
Place approximately four tablespoons of filling in the middle of the pastry end closest to you, leaving a small border around the edge. Don’t overfill as the filling is likely to spill out of the pastry when baking.
Fold the sides of the pastry over the filling to encase it. Drizzle the pastry with butter and roll over the filling, away from you, until you have a neat little parcel. Repeat with the rest of the filling and pastry until you have 6-8 pastries.
Air Fry
Preheat the air fryer for 2 minutes at 180°C / 350°F. Brush the pastries with butter and place in the air fryer basket, spaced apart so that they can crisp up properly – don’t crowd them.
Bake for about 7 minutes per side, or until the phyllo is a deep golden color and the pastry feels crisp.
Serve and enjoy!
Take the bougatsa out of the air fryer and immediately dust the warm pastries with icing sugar and cinnamon. Allow them to cool slightly but serve them warm, the better to enjoy the creamy deliciousness of the filling.
RECIPE NOTES AND FAQs
Can I bake Bougatsa in the oven? To oven bake, preheat to 180°C / 350°F. Place the pastries on a lined baking sheet, spaced slightly apart and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Storing and reheating Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to five days.The pastries taste best when freshly baked but you can also eat them cold. Reheat in the air fryer or the oven if you wish to serve warm – the microwave will soften the pastry.
Can I make bougatsa ahead of time? The custard filling can be made up to two days ahead and kept chilled in the refrigerator until needed. This makes the pastries easier to shape.
HAVE YOU MADE MY BOUGATSA RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day! If you have any questions send me a message on Instagram and I will do my best to reply quickly.
Bougatsa Recipe (Μπουγάτσα) – Greek Phyllo Custard Pie
Ingredients
For the filling
- 14 oz (400ml) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) cream , heavy / double
- ½ cup (125ml) milk semi-skimmed or whole
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup (60g) fine semolina
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter , cubed
For the pastry
- 16 phyllo sheets
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter , melted (or more, as needed)
To serve
- 4 tbsp icing sugar , (powdered sugar)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Make the filling
- Place the condensed milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and salt into a pan. Whisk together to combine, add the semolina and stir it in.14 oz (400ml) sweetened condensed milk, 1 ¼ cups (300ml) cream, ½ cup (125ml) milk, 2 large eggs, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract, ½ tsp lemon zest, pinch of salt, ¼ cup (60g) fine semolina
- Stir the custard mixture continuously over medium-lo heat until it thickens and the whisk leaves a trail over the surface. This can take a 5-7 minutes, take care the custard is not boiling.
- Take off the heat and stir in the butter. Place a piece of cling film directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and set aside to cool slightly.1 tbsp unsalted butter
Prepare the pastry
- Take the pastry out of the fridge to come to room temperature. Take the sheets of phyllo out of the packaging and keep them covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel to prevent from drying out.16 phyllo sheets
- Place one phyllo sheet on your worktop and use a pastry brush to lightly drizzle melted butter over it. Place a second sheet over it, drizzle with butter and fold in half.½ cup (115g) unsalted butter
- Place approximately three tablespoons of filling in the middle of the pastry end closest to you, leaving a small border around the edge.
- Fold the sides of the pastry over the filling to encase it. Drizzle the pastry with butter and roll over the filling, away from you, until you have a neat little parcel.
- Repeat with the rest of the filling and pastry until you have 6-8 bougasta pies.
Air Fry
- Preheat the air fryer for 2 minutes at 180°C / 350°F. Brush the pastries with butter and place in the air fryer basket, spaced apart so that they can crisp up properly – don’t crowd them.
- Bake, in batches as needed, for about 7 minutes per side, or until the bougasta is golden and the phyllo is crisp.
Oven Bake
- Preheat to 180°C / 350°F. Place the pastries on a line baking sheet, spaced slightly apart and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
- Take the bougatsa out of the air fryer and immediately dust the warm pastries with icing sugar and cinnamon. Allow them to cool slightly but serve them warm, the better to enjoy the creamy deliciousness of the filling.4 tbsp icing sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon
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