Bulgarian Banitsa Cheese Eggs (Printable)

Golden crisp pastry layered with feta cheese and eggs, perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a savory snack.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 14 oz feta cheese, crumbled
02 - 1 cup plain yogurt
03 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
04 - 3.4 tbsp whole milk

→ Eggs

05 - 4 large eggs

→ Pastry

06 - 1 package (14 oz) phyllo dough, thawed

→ Seasoning

07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with melted butter.
02 - Whisk eggs, yogurt, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Fold in crumbled feta cheese gently.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough and keep covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.
04 - Place one phyllo sheet in baking dish, brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat for 3 more sheets, layering and buttering each.
05 - Spread one-quarter of the filling evenly over phyllo layers.
06 - Add 3 to 4 phyllo sheets, buttering each, then spread another quarter of the filling. Repeat until all filling is used, ending with 3 to 4 buttered phyllo sheets on top.
07 - Cut the layered assembly into squares or diamond shapes with a sharp knife.
08 - Pour remaining melted butter evenly over the top layers.
09 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top turns golden brown and crisp.
10 - Let rest for 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Layers of buttery phyllo shatter under your fork, releasing creamy, salty cheese filling that feels luxurious but takes less than an hour to make.
  • It works for breakfast, lunch, or a casual dinner with a salad, making it endlessly flexible for whatever your day needs.
  • Watching it bake is pure meditation—golden and puffing up slightly as the kitchen fills with an aroma that makes everyone stop and ask what you're cooking.
02 -
  • Never skip the damp towel over phyllo or you will end up with brittle, unworkable sheets that shatter instead of layer beautifully.
  • The filling will seem wet and loose before baking, but the yogurt and eggs firm up significantly in the oven—trust the process.
  • Cold phyllo dough breaks easily, so let it thaw completely at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
03 -
  • Use clarified butter or ghee instead of regular melted butter if you have it—the cleaner flavor and higher smoke point make the phyllo even crispier without any burnt taste.
  • Score your banitsa before baking, not after, so the knife goes through soft phyllo cleanly rather than shattering the crispy exterior and disrupting the layers.
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