Chocolate Chip Poğaça Muffins
These Chocolate Chip Poğaça Muffins are a fun twist on the classic Turkish poğaça. The dough is soft, fluffy, and lightly sweetened, packed with chocolate chips, baked in a muffin pan, and filled with creamy chocolate hazelnut spread after baking.They are perfect for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon treat, or whenever you’re craving something soft and chocolatey.
Ingredients
Method
Prepare the Dough
- Warm the milk until it is lukewarm, not hot. Add the milk, vegetable oil, sugar, salt, dry yeast, and egg to a large bowl. Mix well.
- Gradually add the flour and begin kneading. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. If necessary, add a little more flour, but avoid adding too much.
- Instead, lightly grease your hands with vegetable oil and continue kneading. If the dough is difficult to work with, let it rest for 5–10 minutes, then lightly oil your hands and knead again. As you knead, the dough will become smoother and less sticky.
Use lukewarm milk. Very hot milk can negatively affect the yeast.
You can use milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate chips depending on your preference.
Don’t add too much flour. The dough should remain soft and slightly sticky. Using a little oil on your hands makes it much easier to knead.
Let the Dough Rise
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and leave the dough in a warm place until it doubles in size.
Let the dough rise properly. The first rise should continue until the dough has approximately doubled in size.
Add the Chocolate Chips
- Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface. Gently flatten it with your hands, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the dough, and fold the dough over itself several times to distribute the chocolate chips evenly.
Shape
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape each piece into a smooth ball.
- Place the dough balls into a muffin pan. You can also arrange them on a regular baking tray if you prefer, but baking them in a muffin pan gives them their cute muffin-like shape.
If you don’t have a muffin pan, you can shape the poğaça into balls and bake them on a lined baking tray.
Second Rise
- Cover the muffin pan and let the dough rise again for about 20 minutes.
- Brush the tops lightly with milk.
Don’t skip the second rise. It helps create a lighter and fluffier texture.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Bake for approximately 15–20 minutes, or until the poğaça are lightly golden on top. Baking time may vary depending on your oven.
Fill and Serve
- Remove from the oven and allow the poğaça to cool slightly.
- Once they are no longer very hot, use a piping bag to fill the center of each poğaça with chocolate hazelnut spread.
- Finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar and serve.
Storage
- Store the filled poğaça in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For the softest texture, they are best enjoyed fresh.