Soft savory cheese dough buns (Pogaca)
We bake Pogaca, the soft Turkish dough buns that accompany the morning breakfast and a cup of tea.
We knead them with milk, oil, and butter so they come out soft inside, fill them with white cheese and parsley, and decorate their tops with sesame and nigella seeds.
Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm milk and leave the mixture for five minutes until it foams, as this confirms the yeast is alive before kneading.
Add the water, oil, and melted butter, then the flour and salt, and knead until you get a soft, slightly sticky dough; do not add more flour so the buns stay soft.
Cover the dough with a damp towel and leave it in a warm place for about 45 minutes until it doubles in size.
Mix the crumbled cheese with the chopped parsley, and preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Divide the dough into small balls, roll out each one and place the filling in the center, then fold it into an oval bun and seal the edges well so the filling does not leak.
Arrange the buns on parchment paper with the seal facing down, brush them with egg yolk, and sprinkle the sesame and nigella seeds.
Bake for about 25 minutes until the tops brown and turn golden, and serve them warm with tea.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Savory Cheese Buns (Pogaca), and how to fix them:
We added more flour than needed; keep the dough soft and slightly sticky next time.
We did not seal the edges well; press the seal and arrange the bun with it facing down.
The oven was not hot enough or the brushing was lacking; make sure of the 180-degree heat and spread the egg yolk over the whole top.
The yeast was weak or the hot milk killed it; use warm, not hot, milk and confirm the yeast foams first.
Keep them in an airtight container for one day and they stay soft.
Up to 3 days, and reheat them a little before serving so they turn soft again.
Freeze them after baking and cooling for up to a month, and reheat them in the oven straight from the freezer.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| white cheese (feta) | drained cottage cheese | same weight, 200 g | A less salty filling, so add a pinch of salt. |
| parsley | chopped dill or mint | same weight, 20 g | A different herbal flavor. |
| butter | extra vegetable oil | about 45 ml | For those who want a butter-free option. |
| nigella seeds | extra sesame | same weight | If nigella seeds are not available, double the sesame. |
| Ingredient | 2 servings | 4 servings (base) | 8 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flour | 160 g | 480 g | 960 g |
| White cheese | 67 g | 200 g | 400 g |
| Instant yeast | 2.5 g | 7 g | 14 g |
| Warm milk | 67 ml | 200 ml | 400 ml |
Keep the dough soft and slightly sticky and do not add extra flour, because the sticky dough is the secret to a light, soft bun.
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