Thessaloniki Bougatsa with Vanilla Semolina Custard

⏱ 75 min · Serves 8

Shatteringly crisp filo wrapped around a warm, quivering vanilla semolina custard, cut into ribbons and buried under cinnamon sugar. This is the breakfast pastry Greeks queue for at dawn — and it's far easier to make at home than it looks.

Per serving: 432 kcal · 9.5g protein · 49.0g carbs · 22.0g fat

Ingredients

• 750ml whole milk
• 120g caster sugar
• 90g fine semolina
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 30g unsalted butter
• Pinch of fine salt
• 10 sheets filo pastry (about 400g), thawed
• 120g unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
• 2 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra to finish
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. Heat the milk in a large saucepan with the lemon zest until steaming but not boiling.
2. Whisk the eggs, sugar and semolina together in a bowl until smooth and pale.
3. Pour a ladleful of hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking hard, then pour it all back into the pan.
4. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, for 5-7 minutes until thick enough to hold a trail. Off the heat, beat in the 30g butter, vanilla and salt.
5. Scrape into a shallow dish, press cling film onto the surface and cool for 20 minutes. It should be thick and scoopable.
6. Heat the oven to 180C fan. Brush a 30x20cm baking tin with melted butter. Layer in 5 sheets of filo, brushing each with butter and letting the edges overhang.
7. Spread the custard evenly over the base. Fold the overhanging filo back over the filling.
8. Top with the remaining 5 sheets, buttering each and tucking the edges down inside the tin. Brush the top generously and score into 8 pieces with a sharp knife.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes until deeply golden, puffed and crisp. Rest 15 minutes.
10. Dust heavily with icing sugar mixed with cinnamon, then cut through the scored lines. Serve warm.