Festive Pull Apart Bread (Traditional Bulgarian Pitka)

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil provides healthy fats and is often easier to find.

milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: water

Almond milk is lower in calories, while water can be used for a lighter version.

yogurt

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: sour cream

Greek yogurt adds protein and creaminess, while sour cream is a common substitute.

sesame seeds

🥗Healthier: poppy seeds

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Poppy seeds offer a similar crunch, and sunflower seeds are often more affordable.

Remove the butter out of the refrigerator. Crack one egg open and separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Put the egg white in the bowl of the stand mixer (or your mixing bowl) and the egg yolk in a small bowl.

Add a tablespoon of milk to the egg yolk in the small bowl and stir it well. Cover and set aside. This will be your egg wash.

Break and add the other egg into the mixing bowl.

To the mixing bowl add the milk, water, sugar, yeast, two cups of flour and the salt. Start mixing on the lowest possible speed until you have a wet dough. If you don't have a mixer, use a large spoon to stir until you have a sticky dough.

Gradually add the rest of the flour and continue mixing until you have a soft and stretchy dough. If you are making the dough by hand, transfer it on a floured surface and knead.

Once all the flour is incorporated and you have dough that doesn’t stick to the sides increase the speed of mixing and knead for at least 5 minutes.

Remove the dough attachment and cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap and leave it for an hour to proof.

Once the dough has doubled its size transfer it on a floured surface and cut in four equal parts.

Roll each piece of dough to a rectangle (about 12x 6 inches).

Spread half of the softened butter on one rectangle. Then stack another rectangle on top.

Repeat the same with the other two rectangles.

Grease the bottom and the sides of a 10-inch round pan with melted butter.

Cut a strip from the long side of the stacked dough rectangles. The strip should be about an inch thick. Then twist it like a rope and form a spiral.

Place the dough spiral in the baking pan and repeat the steps of cutting strips, twisting them like a rope and make spirals.

Once the pan is full brush the dough with egg wash and proof for 30 minutes in a warm place away from drafts. I like to proof it in a slightly warm oven (110F).

Once the shaped dough is double in size bake at 355F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool off for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer the bread on a cooling rack.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens