Greek Bougatza

Burrito Style Method

Sheet Pan Method

Greek Bougatza

This is traditionally served in Greece for breakfast, but I eat it anytime of day.  It's not overly sweet.  My favorite  home-made puff pastry is Emeril Lagasse, but you can use store bought, it's a lot easier with great results.  I recommend Pepperidge Farms.  I prefer the Burrito Style of shaping Bougatza.  It is typically served like that on the island of Corfu.  It's placed in wax paper, you carry it with you and eat while you walk.  Love it.

Custard Filling

4 1/4 cups whole milk

1 cups sugar

1 cup 2 T. fine semolina flour

3 eggs

1 stick butter, unsalted

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring milk to a boil in a medium size pot.  In a bowl mix eggs and semolina.  Slowly add a cup of hot milk to egg/semolina mixture.  Whisk vigorously to temper eggs.  Add the mixture to remaining milk in pot.  Heat gently to thicken to pudding like consistency all the while stirring with a wooden spoon.  Once the spoon is coated.  Remove custard from burner, add butter and vanilla.  Mix well.  Place a film of clear wrap on top of custard and set aside to cool.  Make puff pastry.  

Can buy ready-made puff pastry with super result. I have used Pepperidege Farm with great results in a pinch. 

  

Home Made Puff Pastry
Source of Recipe: Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 1/4 sticks, unsalted cold butter

1 cup ice water, plus more as needed

Directions

Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Dice 6 tablespoons of the chilled butter, returning the remaining butter to the refrigerator to keep cold. Place the diced butter into the mixing bowl and using your fingers or a pastry blender, blend until the mixture forms a coarse meal, similar to a pie-crust. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the water. Use a rubber spatula to gradually blend the water with the flour mixture, mixing just until a rough, sticky dough is formed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Place the remaining butter on a work surface, (a marble surface is ideal). Using a rolling pin or the heal of your hand, smash the butter into the surface until pliable, taking care not to over work the butter as it should stay chilled. Work butter into a 5-inch square.

Remove the rested dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough into a 12-inch circle, being careful not to pull or tear the dough. (The dough mixture may still be very rough and tacky.) Place the butter square into the center of the circle and fold the edges of the dough over the butter, pressing to seal the edges. You should now have a square of butter wrapped in dough.

Using a rolling pin, roll the square into a 16 by 8-inch rectangle. (The dough may need to be pounded with the rolling pin several times to allow the butter to become more pliable.) Be careful not to tear the dough. Fold the rectangle 3 times as you would fold a business letter. Place the rectangle in front of you lengthwise and roll into another 16 by 8-inch rectangle. Fold again 3 times as you would a business letter and make 2 small indentations into the dough to remind yourself that it has been rolled twice. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Return the rested dough to a lightly floured surface and repeat the process of rolling the dough into a rectangle, making 3 business-letter folds, 2 times. Make 4 small indentations into the dough to remind yourself that it has been rolled a total of 4 times. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If desired, dough can rest refrigerated for up to 2 days at this point.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 16 by 8-inch rectangle and fold 3 times, similar to a business letter. Repeat process and make 6 small indentations into the dough. Wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Now the pastry is ready to be rolled and used in the desired puff pastry recipe.

Assembly:

You can roll out puff pastry into 8 x 10 square, rolled out thin.  Place a few heaping tablespoons of cooled filling and roll up burrito style, making sure filling is completely closed on all sides, (seam side down on parchment).  Prick gently on top with fork.    Place parcels on buttered parchment paper or silpat.  Bake in 375 degree oven about 30 minutes or until golden brown.  While still hot, generously sift powder sugar and cinnamon on top.  Be generous, it adds a lot of flavor.

Also you can roll out one sheet of pastry very thin and put into a 9x13x2 pan, sprayed with non-stick.  Place pastry sheet down and up sides.  Place custard on top, spread evenly with off set spatula.  Roll out second sheet of pastry, a little smaller to fit right on top of custard.  Then, fold sides in from bottom pastry over the top pastry.  Prick with fork.  Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  After removing from oven generously sift powder sugar and cinnamon.  Cut into pieces when completely cool.