Add a touch of the Mediterranean to your festive borscht
There's still some time to perfect the holiday menu. Of course, certain dishes are hard to give up. However, small changes won't ruin anyone's holiday and will bring a breath of fresh air. Instead of small meat pies, maybe this year you'll make Turkish buns called poğaça? I'm sure more than one person at the table will ask you for the recipe.
Soft buns with nigella seeds are an excellent addition to Christmas Eve borscht. They're light, fluffy, and moist inside. You can prepare them without filling or with stuffing – as Turks traditionally do. And if not for Christmas Eve borscht, serve them for breakfast. They melt in your mouth with butter and homemade jam.
Poğaça buns – Turkish street food
In Turkey, breakfast buns called poğaça can be bought on every corner. They are most often filled with white cheese called beyaz peynir. This cheese is similar in consistency to the feta we know, and in taste – creamy mozzarella. You can also find vegetable fillings, for example, with potatoes, aubergine, or caramelised onions, or meat fillings in the buns.
How to make Turkish buns for borscht?
The buns are also baked as bagels and called simit. Like poğaça, they can be sprinkled with nigella or sesame seeds. They're crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They taste best when they're still warm. Both will be a great addition to Christmas Eve borscht.
To make 20 small buns, you'll need:
- 2 eggs, 85g of sugar,
- 740g of all-purpose flour,
- 11g of dry yeast,
- 200ml of milk,
- 150ml of oil,
- 60ml of water,
- 11g of salt,
- 55g of plain yoghurt,
- sesame or nigella seeds for sprinkling.
Step-by-step recipe for poğaça buns:
Step 1. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, 1 egg, yoghurt, oil, and a tablespoon of salt. Add slightly warmed milk and water.
Step 2. Knead the dough by hand or using a mixer with hooks. Cover with cling film or a clean cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
Step 3. When the dough has risen, tear off pieces and form them into neat buns. Place them a short distance apart on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover with a cloth and let them rest for 30 minutes.
Step 4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Brush the buns with an egg beaten with a tablespoon of milk. Sprinkle with the selected seeds on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Before removing the buns from the oven, check if they're baked using a wooden skewer.
