Name: Maslenitsa (bulgarian cheese bread)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 400 ml warm water; 1 cube fresh yeast (42 g); 1 tbsp sugar; 2 tbsp vinegar (I use apple vinegar); 1 tbsp olive oil for cooking or sunflower oil; 2 eggs; 900-950 g white flour; 1 tbsp. salt; 3 cups (300 g) shredded white cheese (feta cheese); 1/2 tsp (90 ml) olive oil for cooking or sunflower oil + 1/4 cup (60 g) melted butter; 1 egg yolk + 2 tbsp olive oil for cooking or sunflower oil - for spreading; 2-3 tbsp sesame for sprinkling

Description

I have had the recipe for this Maslenitsa (bulgarian cheese bread) written in my notebook for a long time and I regularly prepare it at home. It is prepared with more fat than standard breads. You always get a fluffy, fragrant and irresistible Maslenitsa with cheese!

1 Dissolve the yeast in warm water, add sugar, olive oil, vinegar and eggs. Beat with a wire whisk.

2 Put the flour and salt in a large bowl or tray and pour the liquid ingredients. Knead a soft dough, taking at least 5 minutes to knead it well to get a nice and smooth ball.

3 Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Place them in a large tray sprinkled with flour, spaced apart. Sprinkle with flour and cover with a towel. Leave them to rise in the heat for about 1 hour. To speed up the process, you can preheat the oven to 50 degrees, then put the dough in it and turn the oven off.

4 Meanwhile, melt the butter and mix it with 1/2 cup of olive oil for cooking or sunflower oil. In another bowl, prepare the white cheese.

5 Once the dough has risen, dip each ball in the fat (olive oil and butter). Spread it to a thin crust, sprinkle with 1 cup white cheese, put 1-2 tablespoons of fat and cover with another spread ball of dough. Press and roll. Repeat with the remaining dough. After forming three rolls, each of them is twisted in opposite directions.

6 Once the three rolls are ready, pour the rest of the fat into the tray in which the Maslenitsa will be baked (I use a pan with a diameter of 33 cm and a height of 8 cm). Place the rolls as shown in the picture. Cover with a towel and leave it to rise in the heat for about 10-15 minutes.

7 Meanwhile, beat the yolk with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the Maslenitsa has risen, spread it with it, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 35-40 minutes. Once baked, take it out of the oven and cover with a towel (unless of course you have the patience to wait for it to cool slightly). Enjoy!