Easy Bulgarian pull apart bread (called ‘Milinki’) with Feta Cheese (white cheese), Yogurt and eggs topping. Super soft, rich and filling, this bread is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner. Vegetarian, kid-friendly.
Let me show you how to make one of my kid’s favorite pull apart bread, called Milinki in Bulgarian (even better than Bulgarian Banitsa according to my youngest). . This Feta Cheese Pull apart Bread is soft, rich and filling, making it the perfect companion on road trips, mountain trips or breakfast and brunch.
FUN FACTS: Bulgarian milinki are a traditional type of bread popular in Bulgaria. They are small, fluffy, and typically baked in a cluster so that they stick together, forming a pull-apart bread. Milinki are often topped with a mixture of flour, butter, and crumbled white cheese (such as feta Bulgarian white cheese) before baking, which creates a deliciously crispy and savory crust.
This pull apart bread is commonly enjoyed as a breakfast item or snack, often accompanied by yogurt or a cup of tea. The soft, airy interior and the slightly tangy, cheesy topping make milinki a beloved treat in Bulgarian cuisine. You can still see it being sold in many Bakeries across the country.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – all purpose unbleached white flour ( I use this one)
- Milk – or can be changes with water
- Yeast – typically dry yeast, or fresh yeast
- Olive oil – or sunflower oil
- Greek Yogurt – for topping
- Feta cheese (or Bulgarian white cheese in brine) – for dough and topping
- Melted butter – for topping
- Egg – for topping
How to cook Feta Cheese Pull Apart Bread?
1st: Prepare the dough, let it rise (optional). Divide in small pieces and form balls.
2nd: Place all balls in a round baking pan, starting from the middle of the pan. Let rise (mandatory step). Cover with topping and bake. Enjoy!
What to serve with Feta Pull Apart Bread?
Milinki Bread is best enjoyed with Airan (Bulgarian drink with Yogurt, salt and water). Some consume it with their morning coffee or tea before work.
Feta Pull Apart Bread (Milinki)
Equipment
- 1 round (cake) baking pan, 9 inch/23 cm
Ingredients
Dough
- 100 g Feta Cheese, crumbled
- 500 g all purpose flour
- 300 ml milk, or lukewarm water
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 40 ml olive oil, or sunflower oil
Topping
- 150 g Greek Yogurt, plain
- 200 g Feta Cheese, or Bulgarian white cheese
- 1 egg, medium
- 50 ml melted butter
Instructions
Dough
- Combine all ingredients for the dough and mix with hands/kitchen robot. Dough should be soft, slightly sticky. If you have time leave it to double in size (or work with it right away).
- Remove from the pot with greased with oil hands. Divide dough in 4 large parts. Then, each part divide in another 6 parts. Form balls with your hands.
- Place all small balls next to each other, starting from the middle of round baking pan. Grease the pan with oil if needed.
- Let the dough rise (mandatory step) in a warm place in the kitchen until the dough spreads to the sides of the pan. Prepare the topping in the meantime.
Topping
- In a large bowl mix crumbled Feta (white) cheese, melted butter, egg and Greek Yogurt.
- When dough has risen, sprinkle the cheese mix on top with a spoon, leaving some space in between.
- Bake in preheated oven on 180C/360F until golden. Let cool slightly and enjoy.
- Preserve in the fridge up to 48 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
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Lovely!