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Pogaca (Turkish Rolls) with Two Fillings

Golden brown pogaca with sesame seeds, one cut open showing a feta and herb filling, served with tea, olives, and cheese.

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5 from 11 reviews

Pogaca is a soft and fluffy Turkish pastry, perfect for breakfast, snacks, or tea time. This easy-to-follow yeasted recipe creates bakery-style pogacas that stay light and tender. Fill them with cheese or potatoes and enjoy them warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Dough:

  • 200 ml (3/4 cup) lukewarm milk
  • 50 g (1/2 stick) butter
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) lukewarm water
  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
  • 480 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 7 g (1 tablespoon) instant dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Cheese Filling:

  • 200 g (7 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Potato Filling:

  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon pul biber (Turkish red pepper flakes)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Topping

  • 1 egg yolk, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (or nigella seeds)

Instructions

Prepare the Dough

  1. Mix lukewarm milk and butter in a bowl until the butter melts.
  2. Add lukewarm water and olive oil, then mix well.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
  4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula or your hand until combined. The dough will be sticky.
  5. Cover and let it rest for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size. Place it in the warmest room in your house. If the room is not warm enough, preheat your oven to 50°C (120°F), turn it off, and place the bowl with the dough inside. This will create the perfect environment for the dough to rise.
  6. Meanwhile prepare the filling of your preference.

Prepare the Cheese Filling

  1. In a small bowl, mix crumbled feta or Turkish white cheese with chopped parsley.

Prepare the Potato Filling

  1. Boil the potatoes until soft, then peel and chop them finely.
  2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Sauté finely chopped onions in it, then add tomato paste and stir.
  3. Now add the finely chopped boiled potatoes. Stir well. 
  4. Sprinkle paprika, pul biber, pepper and salt. Stir well.
  5. Add in chopped fresh parsley and let it cool.

Shape and Bake the Pogaca

  1.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Gently deflate the dough by folding it a few times. Take a portion of dough, roll it into a ball, and flatten it slightly in your palm. To prevent sticking, lightly oil your fingertips or wear gloves when doing this.
  3. Place about 1.5 tablespoons of your preferred filling in the center. Bring the edges together, pinching them securely to seal.
  4. Repeat the process with the remaining dough, shaping each pogaca the same way. Arrange them seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 20 minutes for the second rise.
  5. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
  6. Once the second rise is complete, brush the tops with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds.
  7. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. After 20 minutes, check the bottoms—if they are slightly golden, they are done. If still pale, bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.
  8. Cover the pogacas with a kitchen towel immediately after removing them from the oven and let them rest for 15 minutes. This will help them to become even softer. Then transfer them onto a paper towel lined plate.

Notes

  1. Choose either the cheese filling or potato filling when making poğaça. If you decide to make both, use half of the measurements for each filling to avoid excess.
  2. If you have leftover fillings, don’t worry! The potato filling can be served as a side dish, while the cheese filling is great on salads or in omelets.
  3. This recipe makes 19 pogacas. If your baking sheet is not large enough, bake them in two batches to avoid overcrowding. However, if they fit without touching, you can bake them all at once.
  4. The nutrition information provided is for the cheese filling only and is meant for guidance purposes.

Nutrition