Banitsa Recipe

Banitsa Recipe

The reason I chose to share this recipe is because everyone in Bulgaria loves banitsa (BAH-ni-tsa). I love it, my friends love it, my neighbor (probably) loves it, that stranger across the street loves it. There are a lot of different variations of it, but the basis is the same, a delicious flaky and cheesy pastry.

by A.S. (8th Grade)

Ingredients:

Dough

8 c flour

1/2 t salt

1 egg

One spoonful vinegar

2 c warm water

2 T oil

Filling

12 oz sirene (feta cheese)

1 egg

Directions:

Dough

  • Mix flour and salt until combined
  • Make a well in the mixture, and pour in the wet ingredients. Combine.
  • Roll the dough into 4-5 separate balls, place them in a bowl, and cover them in oil. Let them rest for 30 min.

Filling

  • While the dough rests, combine the cheese and egg in a bowl.

Forming the Banitsa

  • Get a ball of dough and place it on a tablecloth or a clean tea towel (this step is optional, but highly recommended). Roll it out, then (much like pizza dough) stretch it until all of it is evenly thin. If holes are appearing, you’ve stretched too much.
  • Spread the filling around the dough (not all of it, you’ve still got more dough to use). If you used a tablecloth or towel, you can roll up the first inch or so of dough, then slowly pull the cloth upwards against the banitsa, forcing it to roll up. Or you can hand roll it.
  • Place the roll on a well oiled and, preferably, circular pan, then twist it up, beginning the center spiral of our banitsa.
  • Repeat this process for all the balls of dough, continuing the spiral pattern.

Baking

  • Bake at 350 Fahrenheit until golden-brown, then allow to cool slightly.

Note: I got this recipe from my sister, and I believe it’s rather accurate (because I kept correcting her). However, please feel free to improvise, because no true Banitsa maker follows a recipe to the exact measurements.

Posts Carousel

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *