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    Cooking Gorgeous » Traditional Turkish Dishes

    Pogaca (Turkish Cheese Buns)

    Published: Dec 30, 2020 · Modified: Feb 15, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Pogaca (Turkish Cheese Buns) is one of the most popular savory pastries in Turkey. They are perfect as a quick breakfast on the go, 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.

    inside of Pogaca has a cheese and herb filling
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Related Recipes
    • Top Tip From the Chef
    • Pogaca (Turkish Cheese Buns)
    Pogaca Turkish cheese buns freshly baked

    These delicious pastries are commonly sold in bakeries and they come all in different flavors, shapes, and textures. While some have a more crumbly texture like scones, others have a more soft and fluffy texture to them. If you've never tried to make your own at home, try this simple yet delicious pogaca recipe.

    round shaped Pogaca

    The most popular version of Pogaca is the soft, fluffy ones 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. The only downside is that they are unbelievably addictive so you lose track of how many you've eaten!

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • They freeze beautifully. After baking them, 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 until golden.
    • You can fill them with any of your favourite toppings to make your homemade version! The limit is your imagination.
    • This recipe explains 2 popular ways of shaping these savoury cheesy buns.
    • It is a crowd-pleaser, this pogaca recipe will make 20 to 22 medium-size buns.
    • Your kids will love these buns, they are perfect for their lunch boxes.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Ingredients for Pogaca(Turkish cheese buns)
    • 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!
    • Water - Use lukewarm tap water.
    • 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 flavour 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 normally need to dissolve the fast action yeast in warm water then leave it to become foamy, the pogaca dough becomes fluffier if dissolved in warm water first. 
    • Sugar - I use caster sugar or granulated sugar. It feeds the yeast and helps the dough rise.
    • Salt - It increases the strength of the dough as well as the flavour.
    • Feta cheese - I use creamy feta cheese for this recipe. You can substitute it with kashar cheese, mozzarella, halloumi or cheddar as well as using a mixture of a few type of cheeses.
    • Parsley - It is one of my favourite herbs and I use it with almost everything. You can use dill, mint, chives, basil or oregano.
    • Sesame or nigella seeds - They give extra crunch to borek and pastries. They are commonly used in sweet or savoury Turkish bakeries.
    • Mahleb - Mahleb is the secret ingredient of the pogaca recipe which gives it the 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).

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Making pogaca is very easy and straight forward 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.
    crumble the feta and chop the parsley
    add the egg white and and mix well
    • Get the dough consistency right - 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. 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 the flour if needed. Knead until smooth and it doesn't stick to your hands anymore.
    mix sugar and yeast with milk, water and oil
    add the flour and salt, make a soft dough
    • Shaping 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 centre and gently pinch the edges with your fingertips to seal.
    flatten a dough ball and shape it into a circle
    place some filling in the middle of the dough circle
    pinch the edges of the dough

    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.

    shape it into a ball
    place them on a baking tray

    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 some cheese filling on pastry
    • Proofing the buns - Place the buns on a baking tray a few centimetres apart from each other so that there is enough space for proofing. Egg wash the buns with some egg yolk then sprinkle with sesame seeds or nigella seeds on and leave them to prove.
    place the buns on a baking tray
    Egg wash them using a brush
    sprinkle on sesame seeds

    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.

    (Pogaca) Turkish cheese buns before proofing
    Pogaca (Turkish cheese buns) after proofing
    • Baking the buns - When the buns double in size, turn the oven on to 180 °C (fan oven). Bake them for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
    freshly baked Pogaca
    Pogaca baked until golden brown

    Related Recipes

    For other delicious Turkish savory pastries why not try:

    • Cheese Borek
    • Borek with Meat and Spinach
    • Kiymali Borek (Meat Borek)
    • Potato Borek
    • Spinach and Feta Borek
    • Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes)
    • Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi)
    • Minced Beef Pie
    • Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek)
    • Simit (Turkish Sesame Bagel)
    Where is Pogaca from?

    Pogaca can be found in almost most of the Balkan countries such as Croatia, Serbia, and Macedonia as well as in Turkey. Although they all claim these pastries as their own, Turkey has the most different varieties.

    How to store Pogaca?

    You can store these pastries in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. If you want to keep them longer, place them in freezing bags and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Top Tip From the Chef

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

    I hope you enjoy the process of making these delicious homemade cheese buns as much as you enjoy eating them!🙂

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

    Pogaca Turkish cheese buns

    Pogaca (Turkish Cheese Buns)

    Ayla Clulee
    Cotton soft, yeast-based buns are filled with savory feta cheese and parsley filling and baked until golden.
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 35 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Raising time 45 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 45 mins
    Course Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 22 Buns
    Calories 276 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 Measuring Spoons
    • 1 baking sheet
    • 1 Pastry Brush
    • 1 Grater

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the Feta Filling

    • 200 g feta (crumbled)
    • 3 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
    • 1 egg white (egg yolk will be used for egg wash)

    For the Dough

    • 900 g plain flour
    • 7 g active dry yeast
    • 230 ml water (warm)
    • 230 ml milk (warm)
    • 230 ml vegetable oil
    • 2 teaspoon salt (16 grams)
    • 3 teaspoon sugar (20 grams)
    • 1 tablespoon mahleb (optional)
    • Sesame seeds or Nigella seeds (to garnish)

    Instructions
     

    Preparing the Feta Filling

    • Crumble the cheese into small pieces.
    • Add chopped parsley and the egg white.
    • Mix all until combined.

    Making the Dough

    • Mix sugar, warm milk, warm water, vegetable oil, and yeast in a large bowl and combine them.
    • Add the flour, mahleb (optional), and salt and combine to form a nice, soft dough. Adjust the amount of the flour if needed.
    • Knead until smooth until it doesn't stick to your hands anymore.
    • Divide the dough into egg-sized balls (you should have around 22 balls).
    • Flatten the ball on the lightly oiled work surface into a circle with your hands.
    • If you want to make round shape buns, put a spoonful of cheese mixture in the middle of the pastry and fold the dough over the mixture to meet in the center, and gently pinch the edges with your fingertips to seal and place the seam side down on a baking sheet lined tray.
    • Shape the rest of the dough balls and place them on a baking tray a few centimeters apart from each other to make sure there is enough space for proofing.
    • If you want to make half-moon-shaped buns, put a spoonful of cheese mixture on one side of the pastry and fold the other side on top and gently press the edges to make sure they stick to each other.
    • Shape the rest of the dough balls and place them on a baking tray a few centimeters apart from each other to make sure there is enough space for proofing.
    • Brush with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds or nigella seeds on top.
    • Let them rise in a warm place until they double in size (it takes 45 minutes to an hour depending on the room temperature).
    • Preheat the oven to 180 °C (fan oven).
    • Bake them until golden brown (usually takes around 25-30 mins depending on the performance of your oven).

    Nutrition

    Calories: 276kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 6gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 321mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 101IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    FOOD SAFETY

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ayla

      August 03, 2021 at 3:31 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious

      Reply
    2. Becky

      April 13, 2022 at 3:55 pm

      5 stars
      These pastries turn out absolutely wonderful. The recipe and instructions are so precise and easy to follow.

      Reply
    3. Donna

      April 13, 2022 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      I just made these. They are wonderful and not too difficult to make. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

      Reply
    4. Rosemary

      May 01, 2022 at 6:24 am

      5 stars
      This is an excellent recipe, better than store bought. They disappeared so quickly I had to make more and I doubled the recipe this time. Thank you so much!

      Reply
    5. Rose

      May 03, 2022 at 12:06 pm

      5 stars
      I just made these and they are absolutely wonderful, They’re flavourful, soft and cheesy. I see a lot of them in my future. Thank-you!!!

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        May 04, 2022 at 5:28 am

        I am so glad they turned out great for you, Rose.
        Best wishes
        Ayla x

        Reply
    6. Lara

      May 07, 2022 at 7:44 am

      5 stars
      I’ve made this a few times, always good results.

      Reply
    7. Rachael

      May 11, 2022 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is perfection. Easy to make with a fabulously tasty result. Bravo!

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        May 12, 2022 at 5:06 am

        Thank you, Rachael!

        Reply
    8. Sophie

      May 25, 2022 at 3:08 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made these last weekend. They taste great!

      Reply
    9. Renan

      June 04, 2022 at 6:46 pm

      5 stars
      These are incredibly soft and fluffy , thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    10. Kim

      June 16, 2022 at 3:43 pm

      5 stars
      My family requests these every week, they are that good. I plan on making these cheesy pastries forever! Thanks so much for the awesome recipe.

      Reply
    11. Rita

      June 19, 2022 at 6:48 am

      5 stars
      Scrumptious! So easy to make, impossible to fail.

      Reply

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    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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