Turkish Poğaça (Poh-ah-cha)

Square

Poğaça are a traditional savoury pastry in Turkey that are perfect to make for any occasion. They are pockets of pillowy soft warm goodness that are oftentimes stuffed with a delicious filling. I make mine in two varieties, ricotta/feta, and seasoned beef, and find them most enjoyable served warm. I like to eat mine for breakfast accompanied by a cup of hot black tea but they also make a great quick grab-and-go snack for any time of day.

The dough for making Poğaça should be soft and not overworked or over-floured when kneading to ensure that when baked, the bread is soft, not hard or chewy. My mother always gave me the advice to knead the dough to the point where it feels like your earlobe. It’s strange advice, but it kinda works in helping you determine if the dough has been properly kneaded.

It takes a lot of work to knead the dough, prepare the fillings, stuff, and bake Poğaça but the end result is worth it all! Give it a go.

Ingredients for Dough

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3.5 tbsp white granulated sugar
  • 2 egg whites (set yolks aside)
  • 1 packet quick acting instant yeast
  • 7 cups of all purpose flour (extra may be needed)

Ingredients for Feta/Ricotta Filling

  • 1 cup Macedonian style feta cheese
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 tsp salt and pepper
  • mix together

Ingredients for Beef Filling

  • 1/2 lb medium ground beef (lightly browned)
  • one medium onion, 1 clove of garlic grated, 1/2 green bell pepper, 1/2 tomato chopped finely (sautéed in olive oil)
  • Mix beef and sautéed vegetables together
  • Add salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Add ingredients for dough to an upright stand mixer with dough hook attachment. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead by hand.
  • Add any needed extra flour to dough to get to desired consistency.
  • Cover and proof for 1 hour
  • Separate dough into small golf-ball sized pieces
  • Roll dough in hands to create sphere than pat or roll flat to the size of your palm
  • Place filling on one side of the circle, close to the centre but slightly off centre.
  • Make sure not to put too much filling in each, you want to be able to close the Poğaça fully
  • Seal the Poğaça by folding the non-filling side over to the filling side
  • Seal by pressing dough down
  • Set finished Poğaça onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper
  • Let rest again for 30 minutes
  • When ready to bake, baste unbaked Poğaça with remaining egg yolks set aside from before
  • Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown
  • ENJOY!