Bulgarian Cheese Flower Buns

Combine the lukewarm milk and water. Add the yeast, honey, and oil. Stir and let the mixture sit until the yeast begins to activate and becomes foamy.

Sift about half of the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and mix it into the flour. Do not add all 500–550 g at once — the exact amount depends on the brand of flour.

Pour the activated yeast mixture into the flour. Begin mixing, gradually adding more sifted flour until a soft dough forms. Knead by hand or use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. You want a soft, smooth dough, not one that is too firm.

I personally love kneading by hand because I like feeling the dough and knowing when it is ready.

Cover the dough and let it rise until noticeably puffy and increased in size.

For my warm-oven method, warm the oven very briefly, then turn it completely off before placing the covered dough inside. The oven should only be comfortably warm — you do not want to start baking the dough before it has risen.

Divide the risen dough into 8 pieces. For evenly sized buns, weigh approximately 100 g per piece, or divide by eye as I usually do.

Shape each piece into a ball, then gently flatten it into an oval with your hands. Brush both sides generously with butter and stack the buttered ovals one on top of another.

Cover with plastic wrap and rest for about 15–20 minutes, until softer and slightly puffy again. You can use the comfortably warm, turned-off oven for this rest too.

While the dough rests, combine approximately 300 g total cheese using crumbled feta and shredded provolone, mozzarella, or another melting cheese. Adjust the feta-to-cheese ratio to your taste and what you have.

Add 2 tablespoons very soft butter and 3 tablespoons plain yogurt. Mix very well until creamy and easy to spread. The butter should be extremely soft and spreadable, but not melted.

Take one rested oval at a time and gently stretch it with your hands into a long, thin oval or rectangular strip. Use a rolling pin if you prefer. The rested, buttered dough should stretch easily.

Spread some filling along the center, leaving enough dough around the edges to seal it inside.

Bring the long edges toward the center over the filling. Pinch and seal well so the filling stays inside. You should have one long, filled strip or rope.

Gently stretch the filled rope if needed. Hold both ends and twist it into a soft spiral. Do not twist so tightly that the dough tears.

Form the twisted rope into a loose knot. Bring one end around the knot and tuck or wrap it underneath. Wrap the other end around the opposite side and tuck it in too.

Adjust gently until it looks like a little flower. It does not need to be perfect — each bun can look slightly different, and that is part of the homemade look.

If the flower knot feels complicated, stretch or roll each piece into a small square or rectangle. Put filling in the center and fold the sides toward the middle like a little envelope. Fold and seal the remaining edges so the filling is enclosed, then place seam-side down on the baking sheet.

You can also make simple round buns, knots, or any shape that feels comfortable. The shape does not change how delicious they are.

Arrange the buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them. Brush the tops with egg yolk.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake until beautifully puffed, golden, and baked through.

As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush the warm tops with butter. This gives extra flavor and helps keep the crust beautifully soft.