Ingredients:

  • 4 cups Whole Milk
  • 1 cup Fine Semolina Flour
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 4 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, cubed
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Zest of 1 medium lemon
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 lb package Frozen Phyllo Dough (approx. 20 sheets)
  • 5 cups Unsalted Butter, melted and clarified
  • Icing Sugar, for dusting
  • Ground Cinnamon, for dusting

Instructions:

  1. Warm the milk in a saucepan until steaming, but do not boil.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, semolina, and salt together.
  3. Slowly drizzle about 1 cup of the warm milk into the semolina mixture while whisking constantly to form a smooth slurry.
  4. Pour this slurry back into the saucepan with the remaining warm milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens considerably and begins to bubble (about 5-8 minutes).
  5. Remove the saucepan from the heat. In a small bowl, quickly whisk the 4 eggs. Slowly ladle about half a cup of the hot semolina mixture into the eggs while whisking vigorously to temper them.
  6. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan. Return to very low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat immediately. Stir in the cubed butter, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth.
  7. Transfer the custard to a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and let it cool down to room temperature or chill briefly (about 30 minutes).
  8. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking dish generously with melted butter.
  9. Working quickly, lay one sheet of phyllo in the prepared dish, letting the excess overhang. Brush lightly and evenly with melted butter. Repeat this process until you have used about half the sheets (10-12 sheets), buttering each one individually.
  10. Spread the cooled custard evenly over the bottom phyllo layers.
  11. Carefully layer the remaining phyllo sheets over the custard, buttering each sheet thoroughly. Trim any excessive overhang, then fold the edges of the bottom layers neatly over the top layers to create a sealed edge.
  12. Brush the entire top surface generously with the remaining melted butter. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the top layer into serving squares, being careful not to cut through to the filling.
  13. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden brown and crisp.
  14. Let the Bougatsa rest for at least 15–20 minutes out of the oven before cutting fully through the scored lines. Dust heavily with icing sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon just before serving piping hot.