Traditional Feta Cheese-Filled Bougatsa
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A traditional savory breakfast with layers of crispy filo and a delicious, creamy Feta cheese filling
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast/Brunch
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 3
Ingredients
  • 9 sheets of filo dough, 14" x 18" each (I like Fillo Factory - the thin #4 filo is perfect for this recipe)
  • 3 large, slices of hearty white bread, crusts removed (about 5 oz.)
  • ½ cup milk (2% 0r full fat)
  • 10 oz. Greek Feta cheese
  • 3 TBSP. melted butter
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. white pepper
  • 4 TBSP. melted butter (or a combination of olive oil and butter) for brushing on the fillo
Instructions
  1. Defrost the package of filo overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the filo from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to use. Keep it wrapped.
  2. Prepare the filling: remove the crusts from the bread and tear the slices into small pieces. Place the bread in a bowl and add the milk, mixing well to moisten it thoroughly. Add the melted butter, the salt and pepper, and mix again. Crumble the Feta cheese and add it to the bowl. (Note: At this point, if the mixture is too liquidy, add some more bread. If it is too dry, add some more milk.)
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F Convection (Fan in Europe).
  4. Assemble the individual bougatsa: open the box of filo and unwrap the sheets. Lay 3 sheets of filo one on top of the other, brushing melted butter between each sheet. As you lay the sheets down, keep the shorter end facing you. Place ⅓ the cheese mixture in the bottom center of the filo stack, approximately 1.5” from the edges. Fold the bottom edge of the filo over the cheese mixture and then fold in each of the sides, so the cheese is fully covered by the filo (like in the photos). Flip the filo and cheese mixture over and away from you and brush the top and the sides with a little melted butter. Continue folding the strip of filo until you reach the end of your rectangle. At this point, tuck the end piece under the rest of the rolled filo and brush the top with butter. Your filo parcel should be about 6"x4". Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Repeat with two more sets of three filo sheets and the rest of the mixture, so you have two more parcels of cheese-filled bougatsa. Place them on the prepared sheet, leaving some space between. You can also store any unbaked parcels--well wrapped--in the refrigerator or in the freezer. I usually bake two and refrigerate the third one for later.
  6. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly on a baking rack.
  7. Cut into pieces: place one filo parcel on a cutting board and with a very sharp chef's knife cut it in small, bite-sized squares, rocking the knife back and forth rather than dragging it across the top (which would crumble the filo). A pizza chopper with two handles would work well here.
  8. Serve family style, straight from the cutting board, or, place on individual small plates and enjoy while still warm with some ice cold water.
Notes
I tested this recipe with two different kinds of filo pastry, the thin kind and the thicker. If you use the thicker "country style" filo, use only two sheets of filo. If you use the thinner kind (#4 or #7), use three layers of filo.
Recipe by Marilena's Kitchen at https://marilenaskitchen.com/traditional-greek-feta-cheese-filled-bougatsa/