Balkan cheese bread

Makes a 9 inch round cheesy loaf

We lived in a flat across the hall from a Bulgarian widow called Smella and her Siamese cat Ninja. The cat amazed us with his skills (he could open doors and turn on lights), while Smella amazed us with her wonderful cooking. She gave us a proud introduction to her country’s cuisine: rice fragrant with cinnamon and bay; mutton stewed slowly with green peppers; and an endless parade of cheesy pastries, which we could never get enough of. We haven’t been to Bulgaria yet, but we know we will have a delicious time there.

It is hard to explain exactly what this is. A very doughy pie? A very rich bread? Whatever you call it, it is incredibly nice to eat, especially if you have it with some good yogurt and chopped vegetables on the side.

For the dough

20g fresh yeast or 1½ tsp dried yeast

150g/ml lukewarm water

2 tsp granulated sugar

300g all-purpose flour

½ tsp table salt

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 1 tbsp for the top

For the filling

25g unsalted butter

1 leek, sliced and washed (about 200–250g)

a pinch of table salt

a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp nigella seeds

½ tsp chile flakes

100g feta cheese, crumbled

70g kashkaval or pecorino cheese, roughly grated

For the topping

egg wash (1 egg beaten with a pinch of table salt)

30g kashkaval or pecorino cheese, finely grated

a pinch of sweet paprika

Put the yeast in a jug or small bowl with the water and sugar and stir to dissolve. Place the rest of the dough ingredients in a large bowl or a mixer with a hook attachment. Add the yeasty liquid to the other ingredients and combine to form a smooth, supple dough. This will take 2–3 minutes in a mixer or about 8 minutes by hand. Bring together to a ball and smooth the top with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Set aside in a covered bowl and allow to rise until doubled in size. This should take 1–2 hours in a warm kitchen (maybe longer if it is a very cold day). In the meantime lightly butter the sides of a 9 inch round baking tin and line the base with baking parchment.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the leek. Sauté for 2–3 minutes, then season with the salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 10–15 minutes until the leek is soft. Remove from the heat and stir in the nigella seeds and chile flakes. Once the leek has cooled down a little, mix in the cheeses.

Carefully transfer the dough to the lined baking tin. Spoon the leek mixture on top and use your fingertips to push the filling into the dough. Some of the mixture can be left exposed, but don’t be scared to really get it in there. Cover lightly with some cling film or a damp cloth and allow to rise again. This stage should only take about 30–40 minutes, as the leek mixture will still be warm, which should help the dough to rise. After 20 minutes preheat the oven to 425°F/400°F convection.

Once the dough has risen, it should cover most of the filling. Egg-wash the loaf and sprinkle with the grated cheese and paprika. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the tin (to bake evenly) and reduce the heat to 400°F/375°F convection. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Allow to cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes before lifting the loaf out and eating all that cheesy goodness. You can make this bread in advance and simply reheat it in the oven, or slice and toast it, before serving.