Why it works: Cheese and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,962 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Banitza
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the layers
Oil a medium-sized deep oven dish.
Cover the bottom with a sheet of filo pastry, then sprinkle melted butter over the pastry.
Sprinkle crumbled white cheese over the pastry.
Continue layering filo pastry with butter and cheese.
Finish with a layer of filo pastry and butter.
Add the egg mixture
In a separate dish beat the eggs, add salt, and soda water.
Pour slowly over the dish with the banitza and let it soak in.
Bake and serve
Cook in a preheated oven (180-200 °C) for about 40 minutes or until the banitza has risen slightly and has nicely browned on top.
Leave to cool for about 30 minutes and serve.
I like it with Greek yoghurt on the side.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 7 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Pastry | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Cheese + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Cheese + eggtop 28% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,253 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Filo pastry
- Forms the flaky, layered structure that crisps as it bakes.
- White cheese
- Provides salty, creamy filling that sets as the custard bakes.
- Butter
- Adds fat that helps the filo layers separate, crisp and brown.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture and set into a custard that holds the layers together.
- Soda water
- Its carbonation lightens the egg mixture and helps the pastry puff.
The step that matters
Pour the egg mixture slowly. Pouring slowly lets the liquid soak down between the buttered filo layers instead of pooling on top, so the pastry stays evenly moist and the custard sets throughout rather than leaving soggy or dry patches.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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