Banitsa (Bulgarian Cheese Pastry with Yogurt) 🥧

Method

1. 1

   Whisk eggs with yogurt and baking soda into a foam; fold in most of the crumbled cheese.

2. 2

   Melt the butter and let it settle: the clear top is for brushing, the milky bottom is mixed into the filling.

3. 3

   Layer sheets one by one in a buttered round pan, brushing each with clear butter; when a sheet tears, that's fine — Bulgarian grandmothers stretch torn pieces back into place.

4. 4

   Pour half the filling, add a few sheets, then the rest of the filling, closing with crisp sheets on top.

5. 5

   Cut through the pastry before baking (a spiral or squares) so it opens later without shattering.

6. 6

   Bake at 180°C for 35–40 minutes until gold; pour 200 ml warm water over the pan on removal and cover with a towel — the steam softens the crust into shatter-soft flakes.

7. 7

   Serve warm with yogurt or ayran, and salt if the sirene is mild.