Banitsa: Bulgarian breakfast pastry delight conquers holidays
Anyone who has been on holiday in Bulgaria is surely familiar with this delicacy. Simply purchase some filo pastry, and you can prepare it at home. The recipe is quite straightforward, and banitsa can even adorn a festive table.
12 December 2024 14:16
Banitsa is one of the hallmark dishes of Balkan cuisine. For generations, residents of Sofia and Varna have begun their day with this delicious pastry filled with salty cheese. Its taste is exceptional, and moreover, this delicacy is relatively easy to make at home.
Always for breakfast
The origin of the name of this dish comes from an Old Bulgarian word that means rolling. It perfectly encapsulates the essence of the process of making banitsa, which is crafted from filo pastry shaped into spiral rolls filled with a cheese mixture. In Bulgaria, warm banitsa can be found in almost every bakery from the early morning hours as part of a daily breakfast.
A delicacy with filo pastry
Though traditional, filo pastry is sometimes replaced with puff pastry. Various vegetables, such as spinach, pumpkin, onion, or leek, are often included in the banitsa and minced meat or rice. Sweet variations with additions like halva or apples are also available. Modern versions involve soaking the dough in milk, sugar, and vanilla before baking, offering a novel approach to this Balkan delicacy.
Perfect for the holidays
Banitsa is popular throughout the year but holds special significance during Christmas and New Year's. These pastries are enriched with symbolic additions like cornel twigs for health and even paper notes with wishes. Nevertheless, the classic version with cheese remains the most popular, often served with drinks like boza or ayran.
How to make banitsa at home?
Making banitsa primarily requires filo pastry, which is as thin as a leaf and demands patience. Not everyone chooses to make the dough from scratch these days, frequently opting for store-bought options. When selecting ready-made dough, it's worth checking the ingredient list to avoid unnecessary additives.
Banitsa is filled with yoghurt and cheese, such as sirene or feta. The pastry is brushed, and the filling is applied with olive oil or butter. Then, the pastry is rolled up and arranged spirally in the oven. The prepared pastry is carefully baked to a golden colour and is best served warm, alongside yoghurt or ayran.
