If you like warm, tender buns for breakfast or to go along with Turkish tea and coffee, you’ll love Turkish breakfast buns, called ‘pogaça’ (poe-ah-CHA’). You can find them warm in Turkish bakeries early in the morning for breakfast-eaters on the go. Most home cooks also have their own delicious recipes for ‘pogaça’ to serve with Turkish breakfast or during afternoon tea time.

‘Pogaça’ are made plain or with various fillings like Turkish white cheese, similar to Feta, ground beef, black olive paste and even mashed potatoes. Another delicious filling for ‘pogaça’ is cabbage. Sometimes called ‘Rus pogaçasi,’ or ‘Russian’ rolls, this variation of ‘pogaça’ is best served at tea time, as a snack or accompanying a meal. The spiced cabbage filling adds just enough texture and tang to the soft, buttery bun to make it a delicious, warm and comforting addition to any menu.

See Also

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Turkish 'Salty' Tea Cookies

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Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped white cabbage
• 1 large sweet onion
• 3 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tsp. vinegar
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 3 cups flour, plus extra for kneading
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup melted butter or margarine
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• sesame seeds, poppy seeds or nigella seeds for garnish

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 6 to 8 rolls

Preparation

1. Begin by preparing the cabbage filling. Cut out the hard stem and chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Peel and finely dice the onion. In a large skillet or saute pan, melt the butter or margarine.
2. Add the onion and saute it for a few minutes until tender but not browned. Add the chopped cabbage and spices and let it cook down, stirring occasionally until the cabbage is tender. Lastly, stir in the sugar and vinegar and cook for a few minutes more until the vinegar cooks off. Set the filling aside to cool.

1. In a large mixing bowl, starting with about 2 cups of the flour, add the yogurt and the rest of the ingredients and work them together with your hands. Once all the ingredients are well combined, continue to knead the mixture and add the remaining flour gradually until you have a very smooth, firm dough about as firm as an earlobe. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for about 15 minutes.
2. After it rests, divide the dough up into equal pieces about the size of a plum. Take a ball of dough and press it down on a lightly floured surface to flatten it. Put a heaping tablespoon of the cabbage filling in the center. Fold the circle in half over the filling so the edges come together and pinch them closed very gently.
3. On a baking tray lined with grease-proof baking paper, place the 'pogaça' 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 one inch between each roll.

1. With a pastry brush, coat the top of each roll with beaten egg yolk. Sprinkle the sesame, poppy or nigella 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, about 20 minutes.
2. Serve the 'pogaça' while still warm for breakfast or with tea and coffee.