Welcome back! I know it has been a while since my last tutorial, but unavoidable circumstances prevented me from continuing for a short time...but I am back! Today we are making Greek Bougatsa, crispy, buttery phyllo rolls filled with scrumptious custard infused with orange and vanilla. So easy to make, and you will most assuredly impress your family and friends with this beautiful breakfast pastry. Please read the recipe through before starting.....phyllo dough always needs to be thawed properly to be successful. Happy Baking!
GREEK BOUGATSA
1 quart whole milk (4 cups)
1/2 cup fine semolina flour
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs, well beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Orange zest, from half a large orange
1 box frozen phyllo dough, thawed overnight in refrigerator, then set on counter at room temperature for 2 hours before opening.
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
CUSTARD
In a deep saucepan, heat milk until steaming, on medium low heat.
Meanwhile, beat eggs well with a whisk in a separate bowl and set aside.
While stirring, add sugar, 2 T butter, and semolina to steamed milk. Cook over a low heat until slightly thickened, stirring all the while with a whisk, about 5 minutes.
Slowly blend in about a cup of the hot milk liquid into the beaten eggs. Pour this egg/milk mixture back into the rest of the hot milk and stir to combine. Add vanilla and orange zest and cook and stir constantly until thickened, about 2 minutes. Mixture should coat the back of a spoon when thickened properly.
Let custard cool to room temperature before making rolls. (This will take a couple hours.) To speed along the cooling, the pan of custard may be set in a water bath with ice. Or, you may refrigerate custard and put rolls together the next day. While custard cools, cover top with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a 'skin' from forming on top.
Melt 3/4 cup unsalted butter over low heat.
Unwrap phyllo dough, and lay out on counter or board and cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel. If dough comes in 2 packages, only unwrap one for now.
With a pastry brush, lightly butter one sheet of phyllo. Cover with a second sheet of dough and brush butter over that one. Using a large serving spoon, drop about 1/4 cup of cooled custard onto the lower middle area of buttered dough. Fold sides over to cover custard, as shown in video. Use pastry brush to butter area of exposed dough. Lightly roll end of dough over custard and continue until you have made a roll. Be sure not to roll too tightly as custard will expand a bit. Place on a parchement lined baking sheet. Continue until you have used up all the custard or run out of phyllo dough. Brush all sides of rolls with butter, and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 34-40 minutes or until golden brown. This may take longer depending on individual ovens. Do not underbake.
Let cool completely on a cooling rack, then dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon before serving. Refrigerate leftover Bougatsa rolls. They are delicious cold, but if you prefer them warm, reheat at 300 degrees for about 5 or 10 minutes.