Pogaca (Turkish Cheese Buns)

Pogaca (Turkish Cheese Buns) is one of the most popular savory pastries in Turkey. They are perfect as a quick breakfast on the go, a tasty snack when you feel peckish, or a great addition to your kids' lunch box.

These delicious & cute feta dumplings are very similar to Bulgarian Pitka Bread (Koledna Pitka) and pair perfectly with a cup of Turkish tea.

The most popular version of Pogaca is the soft, fluffy one with feta cheese and herbs.

The other filling options are generally minced beef, olives, or potatoes but the plain ones are equally yummy.

I sometimes make a few plain ones to eat with butter and jam when they are warm out of the oven.

If you've never tried to make your own at home, try this simple yet delicious pogaca recipe.

The only downside is that they are unbelievably addictive so you lose track of how many you've eaten!

What is Pogaca?

Pogaca (spelled Poğaça in Turkish) is a type of savory pastry baked in the oven, popular in Turkey and the Balkans.

These delicious pastries can be leavened or unleavened and are generally made from wheat flour.

They are commonly sold in bakeries and they come in different flavors, shapes, and textures.

While some Pogaca has a more crumbly texture like scones, others have a more soft and fluffy texture to them.

Why This Recipe Works?

• Pogaca freezes beautifully. Let them cool down before putting them in the freezer. They keep frozen for up to 3 months.

• It is very easy to make these Turkish cheese pastries with step-by-step pictures and instructions.

• You don't need to rise the dough twice, simply make the dough, shape them, let them rise, and bake the Pogaca until golden.

• To make your homemade version, you can fill them with any of your favorite toppings! The limit is your imagination.

• This simple Pogaca recipe explains 2 popular ways of shaping these savory cheesy buns.

• It is a crowd-pleaser, this pogaca recipe will make 20 to 22 medium-sized buns.

• Your kids will love these pogaca buns, they are perfect for their lunch boxes.

What is Mahleb?

Mahleb is the secret ingredient of the pogaca recipe which gives it its unique aromatic fragrance.

It is an aromatic spice made from the stones of the St Lucie Cherries and it has been widely used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine for centuries in baking.

Mahleb has a sweet and fruity smell and when you're baking with Mahleb, the entire house smells like heaven (or more like a bakery, which is the same to me).

I strongly suggest you use mahleb in your pastries if you can get hold of them. However, your Pogaca will still be delicious without it!

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Plain flour - It is also known as all-purpose flour. It is perfect for making cakes, cookies, pastries, and thickening sauces.

• Milk - I use semi-skimmed milk in this recipe but full-fat milk would work as well. It gives the Pogaca buns a soft texture. You can replace the milk with mineral water to make these pastries dairy-free!

• Vegetable oil - Use fresh vegetable oil that doesn’t have any off-flavors. Substitute it with melted butter, sunflower oil, or rapeseed oil.

• Egg - The egg white adds flavor to the cheese filling while the yolk is used for egg-washing the buns.

• Yeast - I use fast-action dry yeast for this recipe. The recipe also works with standard active/dry yeast or fresh yeast. Although you don't usually need to dissolve the fast-action yeast in warm water, the pogaca dough becomes fluffier if dissolved in warm water first. 

• Feta cheese - I use creamy feta cheese for this recipe. You can substitute it with kashar cheese, mozzarella, halloumi, or cheddar as well as use a mixture of a few types of cheeses.

• Parsley - It is one of my favorite herbs and I use it with almost everything. You can use dill, mint, chives, basil, or oregano.

How to Make Pogaca?

Making pogaca is very easy and straightforward and there are a few easy steps that you need to follow to achieve the best results:

Prepare the Filling

Crumble the cheese into small pieces.

Add chopped parsley and the egg white. Mix all until combined.

Make The Pogaca Dough

Mix sugar, warm milk, warm water, vegetable oil, and yeast in a large bowl and then combine them.

Add the flour, mahleb (optional), and salt and combine to form a nice, soft dough.

Adjust the amount of flour if needed. 

Knead until smooth and it doesn't stick to your hands anymore.

Shape the Buns

When the dough is ready, shape them straight away without waiting for the proofing.

To shape the buns, divide the dough into egg-sized balls - you should have around 22 balls.

Take one ball and then flatten it on a lightly oiled work surface into a circle with your fingertips.

If you want to make round-shaped buns, put a spoonful of cheese mixture in the middle of the pastry.

Fold the dough over the mixture to meet in the center and gently pinch the edges with your fingertips to seal.

Repeat the same for the rest of the balls and place them on a baking tray a few centimeters apart from each other.

Make sure there is enough space between the buns for proofing.

If you want to make half-moon-shaped buns, put a spoonful of cheese mixture on one side of the pastry.

Fold the other side on top and then gently press the edges to make sure they stick to each other.

Repeat the same for the rest of the balls.

Place the buns on a baking tray a few centimeters apart from each other so that there is enough space for proofing.

Proof the Buns

Egg wash the buns with some egg yolk using a brush.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds or nigella seeds and leave them to prove.

The proofing time varies depending on the temperature of the room so it always takes longer in the winter.

You can use your oven to proof the buns if you want to shorten the process.

To use your oven for proofing, heat the oven just enough to have a warm feeling and then turn it off.

Put the pastries in and then turn the oven lights on.

If you want to proof the buns at room temperature, cover the tray with a damp kitchen cloth and then leave them in a warm place until they double in size.

Bake the Buns

When the buns double in size, turn the oven on to 180° C - 360° F (fan oven).

Bake them for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

Top Tips From the Chef

• Make sure you lightly warm the milk and water up before adding the sugar and the yeast.

• The amount of flour in this recipe depends on the type of ingredients or the humidity of the weather. You should always add the flour gradually until you have the right consistency. We are after an “ear lobe” texture for nice and soft pastries.

• The proofing time varies depending on the temperature of the room so it always takes longer in the winter. You can use your oven to proof the buns if you want to shorten the process. To use your oven for proofing, heat the oven just enough to have a warm feeling and then turn it off. Put the pastries in and then turn the oven lights on.

What to Serve with Pogaca?

These pastries are usually served as a breakfast item with a cup of Turkish tea.

You can serve them as a part of Turkish breakfast along with some cheese, olives, Kuymak (Mihlama), Cilbir - Turkish Poached Eggs, Menemen - Turkish Scrambled Eggs, Kaygana (Turkish Omelette), and/or Shakshuka.

Same as Cranberry Orange Muffins, Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Chocolate Pastry Rolls, they are perfect as a snack on the go, for lunch boxes and picnics.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For other delicious Turkish savory pastries why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making these delicious Turkish savory pastries called "Pogaca" as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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