Poğaça – ĺnci’s (Cheese Pastries)

Making sure margarine/butter is soft, place in mixing bowl with the olive oil, yoghurt, and salt. Add flour a little at a time and mix in. When not so sticky, use your hands and bring dough to a nice soft consistency. When the dough comes together turn onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth, adding more flour if necessary. It should be just like your ear lobe!

Break off into small balls (size of a small egg for larger pastries, size of a walnut, in its shell, for smaller ones). Roll each into a ball between your hands and place on a well-floured surface. It is easier to flatten each ball with the palm of your hand and open it up gently into a small circle. This just needs a little press down in each direction. Make as thin or as thick as you prefer. Keep the small balls and your hands well-floured. Each ball should be very soft and smooth.

Place filling in centre and fold into a semi-circle. Brush with egg yolk/milk mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds.

Place on a greased and floured baking sheet and bake at 180°C for approx. 10-12 minutes.

Fillings:

Feta cheese, grated cheddar, chopped parsley, seasoning, egg white to bind.

(For 30: approx. 150 gr. (5 oz.) feta, 100 gr. (3½ oz.) cheddar).

As above, but with 3-cheeses: Feta, grated cheddar, crumbled cheshire.

Feta cheese, chopped parsley, seasoning, egg white to bind.

Feta cheese, chopped dill, seasoning, egg white to bind.

Cooked spinach and onions, feta cheese, seasoning, pinch of grated nutmeg.

Walnuts, just chopped.

Cooked minced beef, onions, seasoning and chopped parsley.

These are best eaten fresh on the day they are baked.

They freeze well.