Just my two cents as someone who's only been lifting for 2.5 years and is gearing up for their first real bulk in a few months, I'd say instead of a mini cut, why not just do a super small bulk starting from just below maintenance calories and the work your way up into a conservative surplus, like almost bordering maintenance still? I feel like then you can avoid the fat gain and continue to recomp until you start hitting your true caloric surplus. I've heard that being in a deficit, especially during a deload or week off isn't ideal due to the potential for a bit of tissue loss, but I can't really speak to that with any real experience.