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A tray of golden brown Turkish dill and cheese pastries sprinkled with black cumin seeds.

Crumbly Turkish Dill and Cheese Pastries (Dereotlu Poğaça)

5 from 1 vote
A professional-grade Turkish savory pastry recipe featuring fresh dill, mahlep, and a salty cheese filling. Perfectly crumbly and golden brown.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 20 pastries
Course: Breakfast, Pastries
Cuisine: Turkish
Calories: 207
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 stick Butter or margarine (room temperature)
  • 2 large Eggs (reserve 1 yolk for topping)
  • ½ cup Vegetable oil
  • ½ cup Plain Yogurt
  • 1 tsp Mahlep (optional but recommended)
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • ¼ cup Fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 3.5-4 cups All-purpose flour (added gradually)
  • 1 cup Crumbled feta or Turkish white cheese (for filling)
  • 1 large Egg yolk (for topping)
  • 1 tsp Black cumin seeds (Nigella seeds, for topping)

Equipment

  • Large Mixing Bowl: For combining your room-temperature base ingredients.
  • Pastry Brush: To achieve that signature golden-brown egg wash finish.
  • Parchment Paper: Essential for preventing the delicate bottoms from sticking.
  • Kitchen Scale: To ensure your flour measurements are precise for the perfect crumb.

Method
 

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, one whole egg, one egg white, vegetable oil, yogurt, sugar, salt, and mahlep. Whisk until smooth.
    Mixing softened butter, yogurt, and eggs in a large bowl for the pastry dough.
  2. Fold in the finely chopped fresh dill.
    Adding a large handful of finely chopped fresh dill to the liquid pastry ingredients.
  3. Gradually add the flour along with the baking powder. Knead gently until you have a soft, non-sticky dough. It should feel like "earlobe" softness—a classic Turkish culinary term!
    Gradually adding flour and kneading the soft dill pastry dough until smooth.
  4. Take walnut-sized pieces of dough and flatten them in your palm. Place a teaspoon of crumbled cheese in the center.
    Flattening a walnut-sized piece of dill dough in the palm of the hand.
  5. Fold the dough over the cheese to create a half-moon shape. Gently press the edges to seal them.
    Placing a teaspoon of crumbled feta cheese in the center of the flattened dough.
  6. Place the pastries on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each one with the reserved egg yolk.
    Folding the dough over the cheese filling to create a traditional half-moon shape.
  7. Sprinkle with black cumin seeds for that signature look and aroma.
    Brushing the tops of the shaped dill pastries with egg yolk on a baking tray.
  8. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for about 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are beautifully golden brown.
    Sprinkling black cumin (nigella) seeds over the egg-washed pastries before baking
  9. Let them rest for 10 minutes before serving; this allows the "crumbly" texture to fully set.
    The final result: Golden brown and crumbly Turkish dill pastries fresh from the oven.

Video

Notes

For extra crumbly texture, avoid over-kneading the dough — mix just until combined and slightly soft. This keeps the pastries tender and melt-in-your-mouth.