Turkish Buns (Poğaça)
Poğaça is a type of bread baked in the ashes of the fireplace, and later in modern ovens. Found in the cuisines of the Balkans, Levant, Turkish and Hungary, it is generally made from wheat flour, but barley and sometimes rye may be added. It can be stuffed with potatoes, ground beef, olive, or cheese, and have grains and herbs like sesame, black nigella seed, or dried dill in the dough or sprinkled on top. This recipe that yields the very softest, fluffiest buns. An added bonus is that this very same dough can work for just about any bread/bun shape, filled or otherwise. I usually use it to make simple round buns with whichever filling I have on hand.
Servings: 24 buns
Ingredients
Ingredients for Poğaça Dough
- ¾ cup (150ml) milk
- ¾ cup (150ml) water
- ¾ Tbsp instant yeast
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk powder
- ⅓ cup (70ml) vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp plain yoghurt optional
- 2 tsp salt
- 3½ to 4 cups all purpose flour
Other Ingredients
- Filling to stuff buns (options include cheese, spinach, feta, chicken, minced meat, etc)
- 1 egg yolk plus 1 tsp milk for egg wash
- sesame seeds for sprinkling over the buns
- some butter for brushing buns after baking
Instructions
- Mix the milk and water in a pan and warm slightly, take care not to overheat. In a large kneading bowl, pour in the water and milk mixture, and then sprinkle in the yeast and sugar. Cover and set aside for about 10-15 minutes until the yeast blooms and becomes puffy to indicate that the yeast is activated.
- Add in the oil and yoghurt and mix with a spoon. Then add the milk powder, salt and gradually add in 3 cups of flour while stirring. Keep adding the rest of the flour a little at a time until the dough comes together. You may need between 3 and a half up to 4 cups of flour but be careful not to add the last cup all at once.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for about 5-6 minutes or until the dough is smooth, soft and elastic.
- Lightly coat the ball of dough with oil and put it back into the bowl, cover and allow the dough to rise to double its size, roughly 30-60 minutes depending on how warm or cold your kitchen is.
- Section off the dough and use as required, you can fill it or use it to make plain dinner rolls or flat breads, the options are limitless.
- Fill buns with chosen filling.
- Once shaped, place the buns on an oiled tray and cover with a light cloth. Let them rise again for another 20 minutes, then brush the tops with an egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp milk. Sprinkle sesame seeds if you like.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180℃/350℉ for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Brush the buns with a little butter immediately after they come out of the hot oven, and then place them under a towel to ensure they retain their softness.
Once cooled, refrigerate them for up to a week or freeze for up to a couple of months.
