Popara
A simple Bulgarian bread porridge made by pouring hot milk over stale bread and letting it steam under a cover rather than boiling it, then finishing with butter and crumbled sirene - steaming instead of boiling is what keeps the bread pieces soft but still holding their shape, instead of turning to mush.
⏱ 15 min🍽 2 servings
breakfastvegetarianquick
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.Tear the stale bread into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large heatproof bowl.
- 2.Heat the milk in a saucepan until just steaming (not boiling), then pour it over the bread.
- 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.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.Season with a pinch of salt if needed, sprinkle the remaining sirene and a dusting of paprika on top, and serve warm.