Description
Simit poğaça is a savory Turkish pastry filled with a flavorful mixture of marinated black olives, feta, cheddar cheese, and parsley, combined with a spicy Turkish pepper paste. The dough is enriched with butter and milk, giving it a tender crumb, and twisted into a distinctive shape before being baked to a golden perfection, topped with egg wash and a sprinkle of sesame and nigella seeds.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 350ml whole milk
- 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 2 egg yolks (freeze the whites for another recipe)
- 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg, beaten (for brushing)
Topping
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
Filling
- 125g marinated black olives, pitted and chopped
- 125g feta, crumbled
- 125g cheddar, grated
- ½ small bunch of parsley, chopped
- 75g Turkish pepper paste
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: Heat the milk in a heatproof bowl using the microwave or a pan over low heat until lukewarm. Add the fast-action dried yeast and caster sugar. Leave the mixture to stand for 15 minutes until it becomes frothy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Make the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the egg yolks, bread flour, softened butter, and ½ teaspoon salt. Pour in the warm milk and yeast mixture and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is tacky. Alternatively, knead by hand for about 15 minutes until tacky and elastic.
- Prove the Dough: Cover the dough and allow it to prove for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature until it has doubled in size. For easier handling, chill the dough for 30 minutes after it has risen, or alternatively, prove it overnight in the fridge.
- Prepare the Filling: While the dough is proving, mix the chopped marinated olives, crumbled feta, grated cheddar, and chopped parsley thoroughly in a bowl.
- Shape the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 46 x 30 cm. Evenly spread the Turkish pepper paste over the entire surface. Scatter half of the filling evenly over the half of the rectangle closest to you, then fold the other half over to cover the filling.
- Roll and Cut Strips: Gently roll the folded dough again to help the filling stick. Cut the dough vertically into 20 strips, each roughly 2½ cm wide.
- Twist the Strips: Work with one strip at a time: fold it loosely in half, hold both ends, twist, and then gently pull the loose ends through the loop to form the distinctive shape.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) / Gas mark 8. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and arrange the twisted dough pieces on it. Brush each with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame and nigella seeds.
- Final Rest: Let the shaped simit rest on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes to rise slightly before baking.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the simit poğaças are golden brown and cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the pastries to cool slightly on the baking sheet before serving warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Freeze the egg whites from the yolks used in the dough for another recipe to avoid waste.
- Marinate olives ahead of time or use store-bought marinated olives for convenience.
- Chilling the dough after proving helps make it easier to work with when shaping.
- Simit poğaça can be served as a breakfast item, snack, or part of a mezze spread.
- Ensure the oven is fully preheated to get a perfect golden crust.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Turkish
Keywords: Simit poğaça, Turkish pastry, savory pastry, cheese pastry, olive pastry, Turkish snack, baked pastry
