Savory Cheese and Dill Poğaça

Recipe Summary
Tender, melt-in-your-mouth savory Turkish pastries packed with fresh dill and white cheese, brushed with egg yolk and sprinkled with nigella seeds. Yields 16 pastries.

Ingredients

Ingredient Amount Notes
All-purpose flour 500 g
Unsalted butter 100 g Softened at room temperature or microwaved 30s
Plain yogurt 250 g Room temperature
Eggs 2 large 1 yolk reserved for brushing; 1 whole egg + 1 white for dough
Fine salt 1 tsp
Baking powder 2 packets (20 g total) 2 x 10 g packets
Granulated sugar 1 tbsp
Turkish white cheese (feta) 200-250 g Crumbled
Fresh dill (dereotu) 1/4 to 1/2 bunch Finely chopped
Nigella seeds (çörek otu) 1-2 tbsp For topping
Sesame seeds (susam) 1-2 tbsp For topping

Instructions

  1. Knead the Dough

    Separate one egg, setting the yolk aside in a small dish for brushing. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour (500 g), softened butter (100 g), yogurt (250 g), one whole egg plus the egg white, salt (1 tsp), baking powder (20 g), and sugar (1 tbsp). Knead until a soft, pliable dough comes together.

  2. Prepare Cheese Filling

    In a separate bowl, crumble the white cheese (200-250 g) and mix thoroughly with the finely chopped fresh dill (1/4 to 1/2 bunch).

  3. Shape and Fill the Poğaça

    Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Flatten each piece in the palm of your hand, place a generous spoonful of the cheese-dill filling in the center, and fold the dough over to seal into oval pastries.

  4. Brush and Garnish

    Place the shaped pastries seam-side down onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops evenly with the reserved egg yolk, then sprinkle generously with nigella seeds and sesame seeds.

  5. Bake to Golden Brown

    Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for approximately 25 minutes until golden brown. Check at 25 minutes; do not overbake to keep the crumb tender and moist.

Useful Notes

Baking Time Watch
Bake for 25 minutes and monitor color. Baking beyond 25-28 minutes can dry out the dough; remove from oven as soon as the crust is golden.\n

Backward San Sebastian Cheesecake (Burnt Basque) Self-Raising Flour Forward