Bulgaria's breakfast staple: The delightful art of banitsa

Banitsa is a characteristic dish of Balkan cuisine. For generations, residents of Sofia and Varna have been starting their day with this delicious pastry filled with salty cheese. Its taste is exceptional, and this delicacy is relatively easy to make at home.

The name of this dish comes from an Old Bulgarian word that means rolling. It perfectly captures the essence of preparing banitsa, made from phyllo dough shaped into spiral rolls filled with a cheese mixture. In Bulgaria, warm banitsa can be found in almost every bakery from early morning as part of a daily breakfast.

Although traditional, phyllo dough is sometimes replaced with puff pastry. The banitsa often contains various vegetables, such as spinach, pumpkin, onion, leek, minced meat, or rice. Sweet versions with additions like halva or apples are also available. Modern versions involve soaking the dough in milk, sugar, and vanilla before baking, representing a novel approach to this Balkan delicacy.

Banitsa is popular all year round but takes on special significance during Christmas and New Year's. These pastries are enriched with symbolic additions like cornel twigs for health and even paper notes with wishes. Nonetheless, the classic version with cheese remains the most popular, often served with drinks like boza or ayran.

Making banitsa primarily requires phyllo dough, which is as thin as a leaf and requires patience. Nowadays, not everyone makes the dough from scratch; instead, they often use store-bought options. When choosing ready-made dough, it's worth paying attention to the ingredient list to avoid unnecessary additives.

Banitsa begins with a filling of eggs, yogurt, and cheese, such as sirene or feta. Then, the phyllo dough is brushed with olive oil or butter, the filling is applied, and the pastry is rolled up and arranged spirally in the oven. The prepared pastry is meticulously baked to a golden colour and is best served warm as a side to yogurt or ayran.