Pogca

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 1 jar water, lukewarm
• 1 jar milk, lukewarm
• ½ jar oil, neutral, e.g. sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cube of fresh yeast
• 6 glasses of wheat flour
• 1 egg yolk for brushing
• 200 g cheese (Beyaz Peynir, alternatively shepherd’s cheese or feta)
• ½ bunch parsley, flat, chopped
• Pul Biber or chili flakes
• Sesame and black cumin for sprinkling
• Butter, soft or margarine for spreading

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

Turkish pastry croissants with cheese filling, for approx. 24 pieces

The unit of measurement here is the Turkish tulip-shaped tea glass with a capacity of 150 ml, but any other container with this capacity will also work. This recipe makes 24 croissants. First, put all the liquid ingredients, the salt and sugar, and the crumbled yeast into the bowl of a food processor and mix together, then gradually add the flour. Knead the dough thoroughly with the dough hook in the machine for about 10 minutes. Then, knead briefly again on a floured work surface, form into a ball, and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 30-40 minutes. In the meantime, mash the cheese with a fork and mix with the chopped parsley. If you like, you can season it with a little Pul Biber or chili flakes. After the dough has risen, knead it briefly again and divide it in half. Divide each half into eighths and form small balls, making a total of 16 dough balls. On an oiled work surface, roll out one ball into a round flatbread about 15 cm in diameter and spread generously with soft butter or margarine. Roll out another ball in the same way and place it on top of the first flatbread, also spreading it generously with soft butter or margarine. Repeat with the other balls, making two stacks of 8 flatbreads each. Roll out the stacks into circular flatbreads about 40 cm in diameter. Use a rolling pin to divide each flatbread into 12 cake slices. Place some of the cheese filling on the wide end of each cake slice and roll it up towards the center like a croissant. Place it on a baking sheet lined with baking paper with the rolled-up tip facing down. Repeat with the other dough triangles. This recipe makes 2 baking sheets, each with 12 pieces. Finally, beat the egg yolk, brush the poğca with it, and sprinkle with sesame and/or black cumin seeds. Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C (convection oven), 200°C (conventional oven), or 180°C (fan oven) for approximately 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Poğca can also be prepared with other fillings, such as potato and Gouda cheese or bell pepper and onion, with minced meat, or you can leave it plain, in which case you can slice and top it like a roll.