Pogaca Rolls

I saw a recipe for feta and herb filled pogaca rolls that looked pretty. Since I had feta and rosemary, I had to try it today. I also made Brie pogaca rolls (show below.)
Pogaca rolls are often served for breakfast in Turkey.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 8 ounces 100% hydration sourdough starter (or 4 more ounces each water and flour)
• 1/2 cup water, warmed to 105°F
• 2.5 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons powdered milk
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup canola oil
• 9.75 oz. all-purpose flour (assuming you are using sourdough starter)
• 1.25  teaspoons salt

Filling:

• 8 ounces feta, crumbled
• 1 Tablespoon dry parsley flakes (or 3 Tablespoons fresh, diced into bits)
• 2 teaspoons minced rosemary (optional, but I recommend!)
• ~ 6 ounces of Brie
• a couple of spoons of whole berry cranberry sauce
  

Egg wash:

• 1 large egg
• 1  Tablespoon milk

Instructions:

1. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the sourdough starter, warm water, yeast, powdered milk and sugar. Let sit while the yeast activates and gets foamy, about 5 minutes. 
2. Whisk in the egg and oil for a minute or so.
3. Using dough hook, mix in the flour and salt on low speed until all the flour is mixed in, scraping the bowl as needed. 
4. Increase the speed to medium (4 or 5), knead until a smooth ball forms, about 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Scoop out dough, lightly grease bowl, and return dough to bowl. 
6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
7. Combine the feta, parsley, and rosemary. 
8. Lightly cover a work surface with cooking spray, and turn the risen dough onto it. Knead the dough for a minute or so to deflate.
9. Using a large cookie scoop, divide the dough into about 36 pieces. (About .8 ounces of dough per piece.)
10. Roll each piece into a ball, cover lightly with greased plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
    
    


11. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment or silat mats.  
12. Lightly cover a work surface with cooking spray. Press a dough ball into a 3-inch circle on the work surface. (I prep about 8 rolls at a time.)
13. On each circle, cut four evenly spaced slits from edge to the center, each slit about 1 inches long. (This makes the petals.)
14. Place about 2 teaspoons of the feta filling in the center of each circle.
    
    


15. Wrap one petal dough around the filling - it will partially cover the filling but not enclose it so some filling shows.As you wrap the petals around the filling, push ¼ inch of the top edge back to form an open petal and allow the filling to show.
    
    


16. Fold the opposite petal around the filling, again folding back the top. Wrap and fold a third petal in the same manner, pinching at the bottom.
17. For the final petal, tuck the edges underneath the rose, and securely pinch on the bottom of the roll. As you finish them, place rolls on the prepared baking sheet at about 1.5 inches apart.
    
    


18. I also made a Brie filled set, topped with a small piece of cranberry. Use about a rounded teaspoon of Brie for filling each roll.
19. Cover each pan for rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 350°F with the racks evenly spaced.
20. Let the rolls rise at room temperature, until almost doubled about 20 to 30 minutes in a warm house. (The first pan will be ready before the second pan.)
    
    


21. Whisk the egg and milk in a small bowl.  Lightly brush each roll with the egg wash.
22. Place the first pan of rolls in the oven on the lower rack, and bake for 9 minutes. (The second pan can catch up with the rising at this time.)
23. Move the first pan to the upper rack, rotating the pan. Place the second pan on the lower shelf. Bake for 9 minutes, until the rolls in the first pan are golden brown.
24. Remove the first pan, and bring second pan to top rack rotating orientation.
    Bake for another 9 minutes.
25. Cool rolls on a wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature, preferably on the same day.

Carole's Notes:

These were fun to make, and turned out pretty! I learned to really pinch the last petal to the bottom of the roll. I made 36 smaller rolls for social hour snacks instead of 12 or 13 in the original recipe - so there was enough time lag that I staggered the cooking times of the pans so the second pan could rise.



I like the size these rolls turned out, so will make them this way again.

The recipe is lightly adapted from https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/feta-herb-filled-pogaca-rolls and https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/flower-pogaca-rolls-recipe

For fun - here's the size difference between a frozen roll before rising, and one after baking.