Popara

Ingredients

• •4 cups stale bread, torn into pieces
• •2 cups milk
• •3 tbsp butter
• •5 oz sirene (Bulgarian white brined cheese), crumbled
• •Salt to taste
• •1/2 tsp paprika, for serving

Steps

1. 1.Tear the stale bread into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large heatproof bowl.
2. 2.Heat the milk in a saucepan until just steaming (not boiling), then pour it over the bread.
3. 3.Cover the bowl immediately with a lid or plate and let it steam for 5 minutes - covering and steaming rather than boiling the bread directly is what keeps the pieces soft but intact instead of dissolving into mush.
4. 4.Uncover, add the butter and most of the crumbled sirene, and stir gently to combine, letting the residual heat melt the butter and soften the cheese.
5. 5.Season with a pinch of salt if needed, sprinkle the remaining sirene and a dusting of paprika on top, and serve warm.