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Tutmanik
Tutmanik (тутманик): soft yeast bread baked with crumbled white cheese and eggs
BulgarianWeddings, christenings and long Sunday lunches in western Bulgaria often begin with a tutmanik on the table, still warm and torn by hand rather than sliced. The yeast dough is enriched with yogurt, eggs and oil, rolled, scattered with crumbled white cheese, folded and baked until it rises tall and golden, with salty pockets of melted cheese running all through the soft crumb. Eat it with a glass of ayran or a bowl of tarator in summer. Sirene is often made with animal rennet, so use a white cheese labelled vegetarian. A common mistake is adding too much flour to a sticky dough; it should stay soft and slightly tacky, or the bread bakes dense. Chef's tip: brush the top with yolk mixed with a spoon of yogurt rather than milk, for the deep, glossy crust Bulgarian bakers aim for.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- ¾ cup milklukewarm
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 3 ½ oz Bulgarian-style yogurt
- ¼ cup sunflower oil
For the filling and top
- 9 oz vegetarian Bulgarian white cheese (sirene)crumbled
- 1 oz buttermelted
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp yogurt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Stir ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast and 1 tsp sugar into ¾ cup milk and leave for 5 minutes until foamy.
5 minStep 2: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast milk, 2 eggs, 3 ½ oz Bulgarian-style yogurt and ¼ cup sunflower oil and knead for 8 minutes into a very soft, slightly sticky dough that pulls away from the bowl.
10 minStep 3: Cover and leave in a warm place for 40–45 minutes, until doubled in size.
45 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan) and grease a 24 cm round or square tin. On an oiled surface, press the dough into a 35 × 25 cm rectangle.
4 minStep 5: Brush with 1 oz butter, scatter over three-quarters of the 6 ½ oz vegetarian Bulgarian white cheese (sirene) and fold the dough in thirds like a letter. Fold again in half and press lightly into the tin.
5 minStep 6: Mix 1 egg yolk with 1 tbsp yogurt and brush over the top. Scatter with the remaining 2 ¼ oz vegetarian Bulgarian white cheese (sirene) and leave for 10 minutes to puff.
10 minStep 7: Bake for 30–35 minutes, until tall and deep golden and the base sounds hollow when tapped. Cool for 10 minutes and tear into pieces.
35 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tutmanik take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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