Traditional pastry recipes for poğaça and Balkan-style pişi

Various traditional pastry recipes and techniques are highlighted, focusing on achieving soft textures and optimal rising. One method details a bakery-style plain poğaça made with warm milk, water, yeast, and oil, which is kneaded into a soft dough, fermented for approximately 40 minutes, and baked at 180 degrees Celsius.

Another approach focuses on the Skopje-style pişi, a fried dough common in Balkan cuisine. To ensure the dough rises like a balloon and remains light without absorbing excessive oil, the recipe emphasizes using a soft, slightly sticky dough and avoiding rolling it too thin. The dough should be kept at a thickness of approximately 1 centimeter to allow air to expand effectively when it contacts hot oil.