Bulgarian Banitsa with Crispy Phyllo Coils, Tangy Sirene Cheese, Yogurt-Egg Custard and Black Caraway

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Generously butter a 26cm (10-inch) round springform or copper banitsa pan. Bulgarian families traditionally bake banitsa in a round copper sini — the shape forces the coiled construction that gives the pastry its golden spiral.

Ingredients

• For the phyllo coil base (1 round pan, serves 6 as appetizer):
• 1 packet (450g) thin Bulgarian or Turkish phyllo (yufka) — 12-14 sheets, fully thawed if frozen — substitute Greek phyllo
• 150g (10 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted, OR 100g butter + 4 tbsp neutral oil (Bulgarian compromise)
• For the sirene cheese filling:
• 400g (14 oz) Bulgarian sirene cheese (white brined sheep's milk) — substitute high-quality French feta + 1 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 100g (3.5 oz) Bulgarian kashkaval (aged yellow sheep cheese), grated — substitute aged kefalotyri or pecorino romano
• For the yogurt-egg custard (this is the Bulgarian touch that distinguishes banitsa from any other phyllo pie):
• 3 large eggs
• 200g (3/4 cup) thick Bulgarian yogurt (kiselo mlyako) — substitute Greek yogurt strained 30 minutes
• 100ml (scant 1/2 cup) sparkling mineral water — the bubbles lighten the custard between phyllo layers
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• Cracked black pepper
• For finishing:
• 1 tbsp black caraway seeds (chernushka — nigella) — the signature topping of Sofia-style banitsa
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 small piece of butter for greasing the pan
• For serving:
• Cold Bulgarian ayran (yogurt drink), or a glass of cold rose-petal sharbat
• A bowl of cucumber-tomato shopska salad on the side
• Sliced ripe Bulgarian summer tomatoes
• Optional good-luck coins/charms wrapped in foil to bake INSIDE the banitsa for New Year (Bulgarian Survakari tradition)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Generously butter a 26cm (10-inch) round springform or copper banitsa pan. Bulgarian families traditionally bake banitsa in a round copper sini — the shape forces the coiled construction that gives the pastry its golden spiral.
2. Prepare the cheese filling: in a wide bowl, crumble the sirene cheese with your fingers into a rough, pea-sized texture — do NOT mash to a paste; you want pockets of distinct cheese between phyllo layers. Add the grated kashkaval and toss gently with a fork. Reserve.
3. Make the custard: in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Whisk in the yogurt, sparkling water, baking soda, salt and pepper. The mixture should look like a loose, pale yellow batter with tiny bubbles. The baking soda + yogurt creates a slight rise that puffs the custard into airy pockets between phyllo layers — this is the kitchen science behind a great banitsa.
4. Set up your station: unroll the phyllo on a dry tea towel. Cover with a second slightly damp tea towel to prevent drying. Have the melted butter with a pastry brush ready. Have the cheese mixture and custard bowl within arm's reach.
5. Build each coil strip (the Bulgarian method): take one phyllo sheet and lay it on the work surface. Brush very lightly with melted butter — use 1 tbsp per sheet, no more. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the yogurt custard along the entire long edge of the phyllo (closest to you) in a 3cm-wide band. Scatter 2 heaped tablespoons of the cheese mixture along the custard band. Starting from the filled long edge, roll the phyllo into a tight, long log about as thick as your thumb. Don't worry if it cracks — banitsa is forgiving.
6. Coil the first log: place one end of the filled log at the center of the buttered pan and coil it outward in a tight spiral, like a cinnamon roll. Tuck the loose end under the previous coil to secure.
7. Repeat and continue the spiral: make the next filled log exactly the same way and join its starting end to where the previous one ended, continuing the outward spiral. Continue until the entire pan is filled with one continuous coiled spiral. You should use 10-12 phyllo sheets and have all the filling distributed evenly. The spiral construction is the defining feature of Bulgarian banitsa — it expands evenly during baking and creates the cross-section of layered cheese and phyllo that makes each bite different.
8. Brush the top: brush the entire surface generously with the remaining melted butter. Don't skimp — the buttered crown is what becomes glassy and golden in the oven.
9. Pour the remaining custard: pour any leftover yogurt-egg custard slowly over the spiral, letting it sink into the crevices between coils. This creates the soft custardy pockets and is what makes Bulgarian banitsa moister than its drier Greek phyllo cousins.
10. Scatter the seeds: sprinkle generously with black caraway seeds (chernushka) and optional white sesame.
11. Bake: place in the center of the oven and bake 35-40 minutes until the surface is deep amber-gold and the coil edges have crisped to almost a crackle. If the top browns too fast (after 25 minutes), tent loosely with foil. The Bulgarian standard is darker than you might think — pale banitsa tastes raw.
12. Rest 10 minutes before serving: this is essential. Cutting hot banitsa makes it gummy; the 10-minute rest lets the custard set and the phyllo layers tighten so each wedge holds.
13. Slice into wedges from the center out, like a pie. Serve warm — never piping hot, never cold. Bulgarians drink cold ayran (salted yogurt drink) on the side to balance the rich cheese, and pair with a small bowl of summer shopska salad.
14. Banitsa is the most beloved everyday pastry of Bulgaria, served at every breakfast café from Sofia to Plovdiv to Varna, and the centerpiece of Bulgarian Christmas Eve, New Year's Day, and Baba Marta (March 1st) celebrations. The dish dates to at least the Ottoman period (1396-1878), evolving from Turkish börek but defined by Bulgarian additions: the use of crumbly sirene sheep cheese instead of mild Turkish beyaz peynir, the yogurt-egg custard (a Slavic dairy-bread tradition), and the spiral coil construction. On New Year's Eve, families bake small foil-wrapped paper fortunes (kasmeti) inside the banitsa — when the pastry is sliced after midnight, each guest receives a wedge with a prediction for the coming year ('health,' 'love,' 'a journey,' 'a wedding'). UNESCO has recognized banitsa-making as part of the intangible cultural heritage of Bulgaria.