Home-Style Turkish 'Poğaça'

Instructions

1. Step 1

   First, prepare the filling. Crumble the feta or goat cheese with a fork. Add about 1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley. If you're adding herbs to the dough, omit the parsley in the filling.

2. Step 2

   In a large mixing bowl, starting with about 2 cups of flour, add the yogurt, melted butter, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Work the mixture together with your hands. Keep kneading the mixture and adding flour gradually until you have a smooth, firm dough about as firm as an earlobe.

3. Step 3

   If you are using fresh herbs in the dough, knead them into the dough thoroughly. Decide what size you wish to make your rolls. For breakfast rolls, make balls of dough about the size of a small plum. For bite-sized poğaça, make the balls about the size of an apricot.

4. Step 4

   Take a ball of dough and press it down on a lightly floured surface to flatten it. Put a small amount of your chosen filling in the center. Fold the circle in half over the filling so the edges come together and pinch them closed very gently. On a baking tray lined with grease-proof baking paper, place the poğaça seam side down and tuck the ends under gently as you go. Your roll should be an oval that is wider and rounder in the center and narrower at the ends. Repeat this with all the dough balls, leaving about 1 inch between each roll.

5. Step 5

   With a pastry brush, coat the top of each roll with egg yolk. Sprinkle the sesame, poppy or black cumin seeds on top of each roll. Bake in a 350 F/175 C oven until the rolls puff up and the tops turn a golden brown.

6. Step 6

   Serve the poğaça while still warm with fresh fruit preserves and honey.