Ui Ui
Culinary Explorer
Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup semolina flour
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
- 18 (14x9-inch) frozen phyllo pastry sheets, thawed
- 2 teaspoons confectioner's sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
- Prep Ingredients: Gather all your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Mix Eggs & Sugar: Beat the eggs in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and continue beating on medium speed until thick and foamy, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Heat Milk: In a large saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat until it begins to simmer.
- Combine Milk & Egg Mixture: With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, beating until well combined, about 30 seconds.
- Cook Custard: Return the milk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to simmer and thickens slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually whisk in the semolina flour and cook until thickened to a porridge consistency, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Finish Custard: Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the cold butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until emulsified. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Let the custard cool while you prepare the phyllo.
- Prepare Baking Pan: Brush the bottom and sides of a nonstick 13x9-inch baking pan with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Place phyllo sheets on a clean surface, covering with a damp towel to keep moist. Layer 8 phyllo sheets in the pan, brushing each lightly with melted butter.
- Add Custard: Spread the custard evenly over the phyllo.
- Top with Phyllo: Add 2 more phyllo sheets on top of the custard, brushing each with melted butter. Stretch the sheets to cover the sides of the pan.
- Create Pleats: For the remaining 8 phyllo sheets, brush each with melted butter, fold accordion-style to create 2-inch-wide pleats, and place them crosswise in the pan with pleats facing up. Repeat until the pan is fully covered.
- Bake: Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crispy. Let cool for 30 minutes.
- Finish: Dust with confectioner's sugar and cinnamon. Slice into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy your homemade Bougatsa!