Bougatsa Recipe from Chania

That’s bougatsa. And not just any bougatsa — bougatsa Chaniotiki, the Cretan version that’s been made at Iordanis pastry shop since 1924. My mom was from Chania, so this pastry is deeply personal to me.

Layers of crispy, buttered phyllo wrapped around a creamy myzithra cheese filling, dusted with sugar and served hot from the oven. That’s it. That’s the whole magic.

When we visit Chania, we always treat ourselves to bougatsa at Iordanis pastry shop, which has been there for almost 100 years. It’s the kind of place where streams of local people and tourists keep coming through the door for take-out or eat-in, every day and at all hours.

Bougatsa is a Greek breakfast phyllo pastry. Can be sweet or savory with a filling of custard, cheese, or ground meat between layers of phyllo. The name bougatsa comes from the Ottoman word “pogátsa“, which means stuffed pie.

Bougatsa Chaniotiki has a filling of tyrogalo aka mizithra cheese. Mizithra is a fresh soft cheese primarily produced on the island of Crete but can be found throughout Greece.

This type of bougatsa has its roots in the Ottomans who lived in Chania for many years, until the beginning of the 20th century. Iordanis’s great-grandfather learned the recipe in 1924, and it has been a family tradition ever since.

• Myzithra cheese. It is a Greek whey cheese made from sheep, goat, or both milk. It is a fresh cheese, similar to Italian ricotta. There is a dry version, used for grating, similar to Italian ricotta salata. You can substitute with fresh ricotta mixed with goat cheese. Please check recipe card.
• Staka. This ingredient is optional because it is almost impossible to find outside Crete. Staka is a dairy product, derived from the cream that forms on the surface of goat and sheep milk, immediately after milking. It is heated on a low temperature. When it starts to liquefy, salt, flour, and a little water are added. The butter is separated, aka stakovoutyro, and the coagulated protein mass that remains is the precious staka. It has a wonderful aroma and a whitish or pale yellow color. The taste of staka is strongly milky.
• All-purpose flour, butter, and whole milk. To create a sauce similar to bechamel.
• Thin phyllo pastry sheets. Like the ones we use for baklava.

Make the creamy sauce

• In a small saucepan, on medium heat, add the butter.
• Add the flour and stir well until it is fully incorporated into the butter.
• Next, add the milk and continue stirring until a velvety, semi-thick sauce forms.
• Remove from heat and mix it with the cheese and staka in a large bowl. Stir until the mixture is creamy and well combined.

Assemble the bougatsa

• Cut the right side of your phyllo sheets to create a perfect square shape.
• Take one sheet and brush it with butter.
• Lift one of the corners towards the center. Repeat with the remaining corners to create a square envelope. Set aside.
• Brush five phyllo sheets with butter and stack them together. Right in the middle of the square phyllo envelope. Rotate so the corners align centered with the sides of the sheets.
• Place the cheese mix on top of the envelope.
• Fold the sheets by picking them up from the corners over the mixture and fold like an envelope.
• Flip the envelope upside down.

Brush six phyllo sheets with butter and stack them together. Right in the middle, place the square phyllo envelope with the mixture.

The sides of the envelope should align centered with the corners of the brushed phyllo sheets. Please refer to the photos for the position. Fold the sheets again by picking them up from the corners over the square and fold like an envelope. (Image 7)

• Place the bougatsa on the buttered baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Cut into small rectangular pieces, sprinkle sugar all over, and serve immediately. Bougatsa is best enjoyed fresh from the oven.

If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F / 175°C for 8–10 minutes to crisp the phyllo back up.

Do not microwave — it will make the phyllo soggy.

Equipment

• Rimmed baking sheet
• Large bowl
• Small saucepan