Cooking with Toti
cookingwithtoti.com/recipes/bulgarian-cheese-tutmanik
Bulgarian Cheese Tutmanik (Dutch Oven)
Soft, layered Bulgarian cheese bread made with an envelope-folding method for beautiful buttery layers — with my modern twist of baking it in a Dutch oven so it stays wonderfully soft.
Serves
8-10
Time
2 hrs
This soft, layered Bulgarian cheese bread is made with a simple envelope-folding method that creates beautiful buttery layers. My modern twist is baking it in a Dutch oven. I've found that it bakes especially well this way and stays beautifully soft. If you don't have a Dutch oven, any suitable baking dish will work.
Save this recipe
I’ll email you a link to keep for later.
More photos
Instructions
Activate the Yeast
- 1
Combine the lukewarm milk and water in a bowl.
- 2
Add the dry yeast, honey, and oil and mix well.
- 3
Let the mixture sit until the yeast becomes foamy.
Make the Dough
- 1
Sift most of the flour into a large bowl and add the salt.
- 2
Pour in the activated yeast mixture and begin mixing and kneading.
- 3
Gradually add more flour as needed until you have a soft dough. The exact amount of flour may vary, so avoid adding too much — the dough should stay soft and pliable.
- 4
Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled in size.
- 5
Once risen, divide the dough into 3 equal balls. Cover them with plastic wrap and let them rest and rise again for about 15 minutes.
Make the Filling
- 1
While the dough balls rest, mix the crumbled cheese, thick yogurt, and very soft butter together.
- 2
The butter should be extremely soft so it blends smoothly into the filling without leaving chunks.
Roll and Fill
- 1
Take the first dough ball and roll it out with a rolling pin, or gently stretch it with your hands. Both methods work.
- 2
Roll or stretch it as thin as possible without tearing the dough.
- 3
Brush the entire surface with melted butter, then spread some of the cheese filling over the dough.
Fold Like an Envelope
- 1
Fold the dough like an envelope. With each fold, lightly brush the newly exposed surface with more melted butter — this keeps the layers soft and prevents dry spots between them.
- 2
Repeat the same process with the remaining 2 dough balls.
- 3
You should now have 3 folded pieces of dough.
Stack and Shape
- 1
Stack the 3 folded pieces on top of one another.
- 2
Gently press and stretch the stack with your hands to make it slightly wider, but do not flatten it too much — you want to keep the layers intact.
Second Rise and Topping
- 1
Place the dough into a greased Dutch oven or another suitable baking dish and let it rise once more.
- 2
Brush the top with egg yolk and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.
Bake
- 1
Bake at 350°F / 175°C.
- 2
If using a Dutch oven, cover it with the lid and bake for about 15–20 minutes. Then carefully remove the lid and continue baking uncovered until the tutmanik is golden brown and fully baked through.
- 3
Keep an eye on it while it is baking covered, because the dough will rise quite a bit. If the top gets too close to the lid, remove the lid earlier so it does not stick.
- 4
If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can bake the tutmanik in any suitable baking pan or oven-safe dish.
Toti’s Tips
- ✓Sugar works instead of honey for activating the yeast — either one feeds the yeast the same way.
- ✓Add the flour gradually, because different brands absorb liquid differently, and too much flour makes the dough stiff instead of soft and pliable.
- ✓Make sure the butter for the filling is extremely soft, so it blends smoothly into the cheese without leaving chunks.
- ✓Roll or stretch each dough ball as thin as you can without tearing — thin layers are what create those beautiful buttery layers inside.
- ✓Brush every fold with melted butter before folding again, since this keeps the layers soft and prevents dry spots between them.
- ✓Don't flatten the stacked pieces too much when shaping — pressing gently keeps the layers intact.
- ✓Watch the dough while it bakes with the lid on, because it rises quite a bit. If the top gets too close to the lid, remove the lid earlier so it doesn't stick.
- ✓No Dutch oven? Any suitable baking dish works — the envelope-folding method is what makes this tutmanik special.
Storage
- •Best served warm, just as it is, or with plain Bulgarian yogurt on the side.
- •Leftovers stay soft thanks to the buttery layers — warm them gently in the oven the next day.
Get my free e-book — 7 quick & easy dinners + 3 sweet bonus desserts
The weeknight dinners my kids actually ask for seconds of, plus the sweet treats — with photos from my own kitchen.
Free PDF · Unsubscribe anytime
