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Banitsa – Bulgarian Cheese Pie

Published on December 17, 2015 • Last updated January 28, 2019 by Elizabeth
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In collaboration with Expedia and their #WorldonaPlate Challenge.

Banitsa - Bulgarian Cheese Pie

It’s funny how our tastes change as we grow up. My childhood diet was quite limited – baked meat and mashed potatoes being the staple, supplemented with seasonal wild fruits harvested ourselves (one wild strawberry for the basket, three for me!). I was very reluctant to try new things. I remember my teacher serving honeydew melon slices in Home Economics class, and my being truly revolted at the taste and texture.

Now, I love trying new things! Experiencing new flavours is all part of the adventure of life, isn’t it? So just imagine my delight when a hamper (18 kilos in total) of Bulgarian produce arrived on my doorstep one day, with a challenge from Expedia – here Elizabeth, cook something Bulgarian with all this awesome stuff!

Bulgarian ingredients

Bulgarian white sheeps cheese
Bulgarian yogurt

The hamper contained a wide variety of dried meats such as cured game sudjuk and pastarma manastirska ‘nashe selo’, cheeses including buffalo’s milk yellow cheese, strained yogurt with cheese and a white sheep’s cheese, Bulgarian wine, pastas and jarred sauces, preserves such as rose hip jam and something that’s got figs in it, sweets and biscuits, tea, dried rose petals, 1 kg pickled cabbage leaves (a genius idea – looking forward to making cabbage rolls with these!), vine leaves stuffed with rice and a package of phyllo pastry.

I confess I have absolutely no experience of Bulgarian food whatsoever, except for the few meals I’ve shared with a dear Bulgarian friend of mine over the years we’ve known each other.

Banitsa - Bulgarian Cheese Pie

My friend tells me that banitsa, a popular white cheese, yoghurt and egg pie made with phyllo pastry, is made for any special occasion in Bulgaria: wedding, funerals, guests coming to visit, etc. Traditionally you must have bantica’s kusmeti/ good luck messages attached on budding twigs – small pieces of paper you write a wish on for Christmas. The dishes on Christmas Eve, which all Bulgarian’s celebrate, are vegetarian and banitsa is always present together with baklava (which she says is the best dessert ever!).

She says that Bulgarians can buy and eat banitsa for breakfast just like the French eat croissants.  She never follows a recipe when making it, preferring, like most Bulgarians, just to make it up as she goes along, so she couldn’t give me one, but I found two online here and here which I used.

Banitsa can also be stuffed with meat, rice, spinach or even with pumpkin and sugar for a sweet option.

Banitsa is a remarkably simple recipe to make. All you do is mix the ingredients, sprinkle it over some ready-made phyllo pastry, roll, arrange in a dish in a spiral shape and bake!

It also tastes fantastic! The sharp Bulgarian sheep’s cheese is just like feta cheese, with a fantastic flavour. The eggs soak into the phyllo pastry and it all puffs up gorgeously while baking to make a perfectly slice-able pie which will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

Banitsa - Bulgarian Cheese Pie

I also made another popular Bulgarian recipe with the ingredients I was sent – a biskvitena torta – a Bulgarian biscuit cake. Trying to source a recipe online was proving to be rather difficult, so again, like my Bulgarian friend said, I just sort of made it up as I went along combining this recipe and this recipe using the Torta cake biscuits which were included in my hamper.

These biscuits, not unlike ladyfingers, were soaked in milk and layered along with 300 ml double cream whipped with 2 tbsp icing sugar, and 250 grams of mascarpone cheese. The creamy layer was sprinkled with cocoa powder before topping with more soaked biscuits and left overnight to chill in the fridge (in a bread tin lined with cling film to ease removal). The next day I tipped the cake out, topped it with the remaining cream mixture and ground some dark chocolate over the top.

Biskvitena Torta - Bulgarian Biscuit Cake

The recipe I made wasn’t terribly sweet, but it was rather unusual and delicious. I think if I was to make this again I’d use more icing sugar. Also – this photo was taken at 11:30 am on the 16th of December. See how dark it is in the middle of the day here! Impossible for food photography!

My Bulgarian friend remembers that her aunt used to be a superb torta maker and when she and her siblings were children they were eager to visit her. Her torta/cake took quite a bit of effort to make though. When my friend was a teenager every Friday afternoon she would meet with friends and bring a cake of biscuit and custard layers or sweet salami.

They would eat this later on during their Friday music party or kupon in Bulgarian. They would gather up listen to cool music such as Pink Floyd, Cream, The Beatles, or The Band and eat cake and sometimes pass around a bottle of white or red wine to share amongst all. They would also sing and play guitar and have long philosophical or political discussions. It was a special time of change for Eastern Europe 1989-1991, she recalls.

Have you visited Bulgaria? Do you have any interesting food stories to share? Let me know in the comments!

Banitsa - Bulgarian Cheese Pie

Banitsa - Bulgarian Cheese Pie

A staple dish in Bulgaria which can be eaten hot, warm or cold.
4.50 from 6 votes
Print Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 people
Author: Elizabeth

Ingredients

  • 500 grams phyllo pastry sheets
  • 5 large free-range eggs
  • 400 grams Bulgarian white cheese crumbled
  • 245 grams plain natural yoghurt plus extra, to serve
  • 125 ml sunflower oil
  • 60 ml cold water
  • 2 tbsp butter

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Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 190 C/ 170 C fan. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate and a 9 x 13 casserole dish with a little oil.
  • Crack the eggs into a medium sized bowl and lightly beat them.
  • Crumble the white cheese onto the top and stir in. Add the yogurt, oil and water and combine well.
  • Unroll the phyllo pastry, and working with one sheet at a time lightly drizzle three or four dessert spoons of the egg/cheese mixture over the top. You don't want to saturate the pastry, just sprinkle it. I then used my hands to distribute the mixture evenly across the pastry dough.
  • Loosely roll the sheet of phyllo pastry up like a log and place into your prepared baking tin in a spiral shape.
  • Repeat with the remaining layers of pastry.
  • If there is any mixture left, drizzle it over the top of the rolls of phyllo. Dot with butter and bake for 45 minutes, until golden.
  • Leave to cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with extra yogurt.
  • Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Do not refrigerate as this will cause the pastry to go soggy.

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OTHER RECIPES USING PHYLLO YOU MIGHT LIKE

Leftover turkey & ham pies with a filo crunch by Fuss Free Flavours
Broccoli, spinach & wild rice phyllo pie by Kellie’s Food to Glow
Chocolate Baklava by Tin & Thyme
Mushroom Nut Filo Parcels by Casa Costello
Chicken & Leek Filo Pie by Lovely Appetite

Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary received a hamper of Bulgarian food and a supermarket voucher to help with the cost of ingredients for this recipe post. This post is in collaboration with Expedia and their #WorldonaPlate Challenge.

 

Category: Carbohydrates, Recipe, Vegetarian, VeggieTag: #WorldonaPlate Challenge, Bulgaria, feta, phyllo, pie

About Elizabeth

Solivagant. Foodie. Calls Shetland home.

Previous Post:White Chocolate and Clementine Ice Cream BombeWhite Chocolate and Clementine Bombe
Next Post:Raw Chocolate and Clementine Mini CheesecakesRaw Chocolate and Clementine Cheesecake with a Chocolate Hazelnut Crust

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Holly

    November 20, 2018 at 3:50 am

    I am half Bulgarian and I grew up eating this. I love Bulgarian cuisine!

    Reply
    • Nadia

      July 26, 2020 at 8:19 am

      Hi Elizabeth, lovely story and recipe. Thank you for sharing. Just one thing though, it is not really a pie. It is a banitsa or if you want to give it a completely English name then you can call it a Bulgarian cheese pastry. It looses the original cultural meaning calling it a pie as it is not eaten as such and I personally believe it is important to respect the origins of recipes and not loose the meaning in translation as it makes it more special, you preserve a piece of the original culture this way.
      Really love your recipe for both treats!
      I am salivating just reading this.
      Thank you so much for the joy you bring to people through food. I can’t wait to try some more of your recipes 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jenny D

    December 25, 2017 at 12:47 am

    My husband and I spent over a month in Bulgaria while adopting our son and wanted to keep his culture alive so we made a “traditional” Christmas Eve dinner which of course, include the stable, banista! This recipe is excellent and the closest I have come to what we had while in Bulgaria. First, the yogurt is absolutely crucial. Banista is not made with milk so if you see a recipe calling for it, it’s the wrong recipe. I made a few modifications to the recipe: I used 5 phyllo sheets per roll (I don’t think this was noted in the recipe). I would take the oil down by 1/4 of what it calls for. I used a spring pan and it was perfect and allowed for perfect presentation. I prepped ahead of time and cover with parchment paper, then two moist paper towels, cling wrap and stored in the fridge for 5 hours. I let stand for about 1/2 hour before cooking. Covering for the 20 mins afterwards is crucial and was perfect. I wish this allowed for pictures to be uploaded. It came out beautifully and all of us loved it. Definitely a keeper recipe! Will be adding spinach the next go round. Happy trying!

    Reply
  3. sarah

    November 5, 2017 at 6:44 pm

    How funny that I have come across your post. I have been reminiscing of my time spent living in Bulgaria and how I am hankering for some banitsa. I did not learn how to make it while I lived there, but the photos of how your came out look quite close to what I remember eating. And yes… we would eat cirene and tikvenik (pumpkin) banitsa for snacks, breakfast and dessert… 🙂 Thanks for trying out the recipe and I will have to try it out myself!

    Reply
  4. Lucy Robertson

    April 28, 2017 at 11:21 am

    I had it. It’s really yummy

    Reply
  5. Harriet from Toby & Roo

    April 8, 2016 at 8:01 pm

    Oh my! This looks seriously scrum-diddley-umpsious! I love cheese!

    Reply
  6. Hayley Mulgrove

    March 19, 2016 at 4:34 pm

    Oh wow this looks amazing am gonna have to try this Thank you

    Reply
  7. William Gould

    March 10, 2016 at 12:20 pm

    This looks interesting and different! I’ll have to show my wife and try to adapt some of the ingredients!

    Reply
  8. Andrew Petrie

    February 20, 2016 at 11:48 am

    It looks and sounds delicious but I will have to try this with Feta as my local Sainsbury’s don’t stock Bulgarian sheep’s cheese !

    Reply
  9. Maya Russell

    February 10, 2016 at 8:34 am

    Banitsa makes a fabulous looking top crust. Mmmm.

    Reply
  10. Heather Haigh

    February 10, 2016 at 1:45 am

    I have never tried any Bulgarian food – am totally clueless as to what it would be like. But that looks extremely tempting.

    Reply
  11. Ana De- Jesus

    January 23, 2016 at 8:31 pm

    I think I might have already commented on this one but I love it so much that I am coming back to it twice.I am obsessed with cheese so this would help fuel my cheese addiction lol.

    Reply
  12. Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs

    January 3, 2016 at 1:19 pm

    Just a little bit jealous of that huge hamper. 18 kilos is an insane amount of food 🙂 I also don’t know a lot about Bulgarian food but you’ve done the hamper justice. This pie sounds divine – definitely something I would like to try myself. I’d love to find out more about Bulgaria and it’s cuisine now!

    Reply
  13. Platter Talk

    January 2, 2016 at 8:56 pm

    What a wonderful and original cheese reat; thanks so much for sharing this great recipe!

    Reply
  14. Heidy L McCallum

    January 1, 2016 at 3:22 am

    What a gorgeous and delicious looking cheese pie!

    Reply
  15. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

    December 31, 2015 at 5:32 pm

    I can totally imagine this with spinach in it, for brunch or lunch. Oh my, I must make your recipe!

    Reply
  16. Melissa

    December 30, 2015 at 2:58 pm

    This looks absolutely amazing. I’m always searching for unique recipes to try and this totally made mynlist! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  17. Divya @ Divya's Culinary Journey

    December 21, 2015 at 11:10 pm

    I have never been to Bulgaria, but would love to visit if I ever get a chance 😀
    This cheese pie looks too good! Love it!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:19 am

      I’ve never been either, but yes, it sounds like a super place to visit. The cheese pie is lovely too! 😀

      Reply
  18. Celia at Chicago Jogger

    December 21, 2015 at 3:44 pm

    Yum, this looks so good 🙂 Perfect for a holiday gathering.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:21 am

      It was rather scrummy, and the recipe serves loads, so yes, perfect for a gathering! 🙂

      Reply
  19. Diane

    December 21, 2015 at 6:09 am

    You are opening my food world! I’m so incredibly impressed with this recipe. The pie looks inviting. I just want to sit and visit with you and eat a slice! Might be a bit of a journey, but I’m quite curious about your life on those
    shetland Islands!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:21 am

      Come and visit! 😀 You’re more than welcome to join me at my table any time. It’s a journey to get here, but one I think everyone should make at least once!

      Reply
  20. justine @ Full Belly SIsters

    December 21, 2015 at 2:39 am

    I’ve never had Bulgarian food but your post makes me want to!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:22 am

      I’ve been working my way through the contents of my Bulgarian food hamper and I am very impressed! Such intriguing ingredients! 🙂

      Reply
  21. Debra @ Bowl Me Over

    December 20, 2015 at 11:20 pm

    This looks quite delicious and simple too – pair with a salad for a perfect meal!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:23 am

      Indeed! 🙂

      Reply
  22. Manila Spoon

    December 20, 2015 at 10:31 pm

    This looks absolutely delicious and a must-try for me! Layers of cheesy-liciousness in every bite – yum!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:23 am

      It certainly is the perfect dish for any cheese fan 🙂

      Reply
  23. Tara

    December 20, 2015 at 10:16 pm

    I am 100% sold on this recipe, looks divine!!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:24 am

      It is rather scrummy indeed! 🙂

      Reply
  24. Katerina

    December 20, 2015 at 7:37 am

    Since Bulgaria is so close to Greece I can tell you that this pie looks exactly the same as the ones they make in the northern parts of my country and it is delicious! You made one fine cheese pie!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:25 am

      That’s interesting to know, and thank you ! 😀

      Reply
  25. Cindy @ Hun... What's for Dinner?

    December 20, 2015 at 12:58 am

    Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a bulgarian cheese pie. It sure does look delicious!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:26 am

      I’d never heard of it either until I started researching Bulgarian food for this post. So glad I’ve tried it, and I’m definitely going to be experimenting with variations!

      Reply
  26. LydiaF

    December 19, 2015 at 4:25 pm

    I’m amazed that something that gorgeous takes so little effort! I’m thankful for premade phyllo sheets!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:26 am

      They’re a fantastic ingredient, aren’t they! 🙂

      Reply
  27. Dom

    December 19, 2015 at 10:28 am

    I love this! Love all the layers of filo and cheese… a cheese lovers dream!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:32 am

      It certainly is! 😀

      Reply
  28. kate @veggie desserts

    December 18, 2015 at 9:08 pm

    I love the sound of this! Such an amazing hamper of Bulgarian food and it sounds as though it got you all creative!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:33 am

      It certainly has – I’m really enjoying experimenting with all the new and wonderful ingredients. 🙂

      Reply
  29. Choclette

    December 18, 2015 at 8:49 pm

    Ooh my what a fab hamper. And I love the recipes you’e made with it. I’d be very happy to eat both. I quite like the idea of the not too sweet biscuit cake as I often find cakes and puddings just a bit too sweet. I know nothing about Bulgarian food, or at least I didn’t. It sounds a bit similar to Greek.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:34 am

      The more I read and hear the more Greek the dishes do sound. I suppose each country is influenced by its neighbours!

      Reply
  30. Jacqueline Meldrum

    December 18, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    That’s just gorgeous Elizabeth. My first temptation would be to make it Greek and add Spinach lol! Always trying to add those greens. Bet it’s tasty just as it is though. Oh and love your new banner too.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:34 am

      Oh yes, the addition of spinach would be a great idea!!! yum!

      Reply
  31. KC the Kitchen Chopper

    December 18, 2015 at 8:36 pm

    Well, this looks like a little bit of heaven on a plate. Delish!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:35 am

      Heehee, it certainly is! 😀

      Reply
  32. Debi @ Life Currents

    December 18, 2015 at 7:36 pm

    How fun! I love trying new things like this. My Grandma used to make something like this using, what she called, Farmer’s Cheese. I would love to try this! pinning to make later. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:36 am

      Mmm I like the sound of farmer’s cheese! Let me know how you get on if you do make this dish. 🙂

      Reply
  33. Emily

    December 18, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    I’ve never heard of this before but it might now be my favourite food ever. Cheese and filo pastry – yum x

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:36 am

      It’s definitely a good pairing, and so easy to make too!

      Reply
  34. Nadia's Healthy Kitchen

    December 18, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    Looks so delicious and indulgent 😀 Yum!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:36 am

      Thanks Nadia 🙂

      Reply
  35. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy

    December 18, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    Cheese and pie are two of my favourite words, so even better when they are put together. I did a Maltese recipe for the World On A Plate challenge and I really enjoyed discovering more about Maltese food.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:37 am

      It’s a great challenge to be part of, isn’t it!

      Reply
  36. Lucy Parissi

    December 18, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    Wow this looks amazing Elisabeth! Not a million miles away from my mum’s tyropita but then again Bulgaria and Greece are close. You have reminded me that I need to make a cheese pie again – especially since I am entertaining vegetarian friends at Christmas. Have pinned and shared : )

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:37 am

      Thanks Lucy, and wishing you all the best for the festive season and the new year!

      Reply
  37. Andrea @ The Petite Cook

    December 18, 2015 at 11:33 am

    I love how easy peasy this pie is! To be honest I never tasted bulgarian cuisine, so Im super excited to give this one a try! 🙂

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:38 am

      Let me know how you get on if you do make it! 🙂

      Reply
  38. Ana De- Jesus

    December 18, 2015 at 8:24 am

    I love trying new foods and this Bulgarian cheese pie sounds delicious. Would love to try this

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:40 am

      It’s so easy to make too. Let me know what you think if you do make it.

      Reply
  39. Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes

    December 18, 2015 at 8:22 am

    Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this before and it looks amazing. So simple to make too. 🙂

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:41 am

      I’d never seen anything like this before either, but I was so surprised at how easy it was to make and how tasty the results were!

      Reply
  40. Jeanne Horak-Druiff

    December 18, 2015 at 8:03 am

    Omg we had this for breakfast on a recent trip to Bulgaria – sooooooo good! Yours looks just fab 🙂

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:41 am

      Awesome, thanks Jeanne!

      Reply
  41. Food Glorious Food

    December 17, 2015 at 9:12 pm

    Looks amazing x

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:41 am

      Thank you 🙂

      Reply
  42. Rachel

    December 17, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    Yum! This all looks like fun baking and what an awesome parcel to receive! The Banitsa pie reminds me – unsurprisingly – of a turkish dish, which I’ve been meaning to try for ages! Sounds delicious, how interesting that Christmas eve is a veggie affair too, I wholly approve of that!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth

      December 28, 2015 at 10:42 am

      It definitely was an amazing parcel. We saved the wine for Boxing Day when we had guests over – such a lovely wine too! Wishing you all the best for the new year!

      Reply
4.50 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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