Poaca Turkish Feta Cheese Pockets Recipes

TURKISH POGAçA

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm milk in a bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup water, vegetable oil, salt, and yeast mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment; knead until pliable and not too sticky. Add a little flour if too soft, or warm water if too hard. Cover with a wet cloth and let sit at room temperature for 45 to 50 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking tray with butter.
• Mix feta cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and chili powder together in a bowl until well combined.
• Knead dough for 2 minutes. Divide it into 12 equal portions, and roll each one into a ball. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten each ball into a 2- to 3-inch circle. Add a spoon of cheese filling in the middles and fold the edges upward like a bundle, pressing to secure. Place on the prepared baking try, folded-sides down. Brush with milk and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
• Bake on the top rack of the preheated oven until golden, 30 to 32 minutes.

HOME-STYLE TURKISH 'POğAçA'

Steps:

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

POGACA (FETA DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the flour with baking soda in a bowl; set aside.
• Mix the canola oil, butter, yogurt, eggs, sour cream, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients to form a soft dough. Knead and squeeze the dough in the bowl until it is no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Stir the feta cheese, parsley, olive oil, and paprika together in a bowl with a fork to make a filling.
• Make each dumpling by pinching off about 2 1/2 tablespoons of dough; roll into a ball about 1 3/4 inches across between your hands, and press it into a flat circle 3 inches across on your palm. Spoon 1 scant tablespoon of filling into the center of the circle. Bring the edges of the circle together over the filling, and pinch them together to make a fat, round little stuffed dumpling. Set the dumplings onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, seam sides down. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl, and brush the pogaca tops with the egg yolk. Sprinkle each with about 1/4 teaspoon of sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are shiny, brown, and crackled, 20 to 30 minutes.

TURKISH POGACA

Steps:

• Mix everything together except the egg yolk.
• Wait for 1 hour for batter to double.
• Make small rounds as big as half of your palm.
• Press it with your fingers to make it as big as your palm.
• Mix feta cheese and parsley.
• Put the mixture into these small rounds and close it and round it again.
• Place it on the oiled oven sheet.
• Brush all the batch with the egg yolk.
• Place it in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes in 350°F.
• Put poppyseed on the batch as desired.

NATURALLY LEAVENED TURKISH POğAçA

Steps:

• Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, and sourdough starter in a medium bowl.
• Add most of the flour, reserving a little in case it's not needed, and add the salt. Mix and knead the dough in the bowl until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add more flour as needed to get a soft but not sticky dough.
• Wash and chop the herbs, and prep (crumble, slice, shred) the cheese you've chosen to use. Then add them as well as the black pepper to the dough by folding and kneading.
• Cover the dough and let it ferment at room temperature for 4-6 hours. Then refrigerate the dough overnight.
• The next day, prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Flip the cold dough out of the bowl and shape it into a tube, about as thick as a baguette.
• Cut the tube on the diagonal about every 5 cm (2 inches), and place the pieces on the parchment paper smooth side up (as opposed to cut side up).
• Cover and let the dough rest and rise for an hour or longer, until it's puffy.
• Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F).
• Brush the dough with lightly beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame and nigella seeds.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

POACA - TURKISH FETA CHEESE POCKETS

Steps:

• Mix yoghurt and oil and add 2 eggwhites.
• Salt lightly.
• Mix flour and baking powder and add to liquids.
• Mix until a rather soft dough forms.
• Crumble feta and add chopped parsley (or mint).
• Form balls (bit larger than a golf ball) out of the dough.
• Flatten dough and place one teaspoons of filling in the middle.
• Close dough around filling and try to put back into dough shape (roll around between your palms).
• Place balls on a baking tray and brush with egg yolk.
• Sprinkle with black cumin and bake at 180°C-200°C until crispy brown.