Galaktoboureko – Greek Custard Pie in Phyllo

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Wrapping Dough

1. 1
   Thaw the phyllo dough in the fridge overnight, until pliable but still cold.

   Refrigerator

   💡Work with store-bought dough while it's cold: warm puff pastry gets sticky and won't puff in the oven, and phyllo sheets dry out fast, so keep the waiting sheets covered with a damp towel.

For the Cream Filling

1. 2
   Heat the milk and the cream to just below a boil.

   StovePot
2. 3
   In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and flour.

   BowlWhisk
3. 4
   Pour the warm milk and cream in a thin stream into the mixture, whisking constantly.

   ⚙ Tempering eggsWhisk

   💡The hot liquid goes into the eggs slowly while whisking, and only about a third of it in the first batch: that way they warm gradually and don't turn into scrambled eggs.
4. 5
   Return to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens and bubbles in the center, then cook 1–2 more minutes.

   StovePot

   💡Stir nonstop until it bubbles: only then does the starch thicken fully, and the cream won't turn runny later.
5. 6
   Add the vanilla and stir.
6. 7
   Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the cream and let cool.

   BowlPlastic wrap

For the Sugar Syrup

1. 8
   Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer 5 minutes, until the sugar melts and the syrup thickens slightly.

   ⚙ SimmeringStove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
2. 9
   Add the lemon juice.

   💡The lemon keeps the sugar from crystallizing again.
3. 10
   Cool completely.

   💡Cold syrup on a hot pastry soaks in evenly.

To assemble

1. 11
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F) and butter the pan.

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 12
   Line the pan with half the phyllo sheets and brush butter between each layer.

   Baking panPastry brush
3. 13
   Spread the cream on top in an even layer.
4. 14
   Continue with the rest of the phyllo sheets, with butter between each layer, and cut into diamonds before baking.

   Knife

   💡Cut before baking: baked phyllo crumbles under the knife. The cuts also give the syrup a way down to the bottom.
5. 15
   Bake 45 minutes, until the quiche browns nicely, and immediately pour the cold syrup over it. Let it soak at least 4 hours.

   ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.