Traditional Balkan Pogaca Bread with Sesame Seeds (High-Protein, Wholegrain)

Name: Traditional Balkan Pogaca Bread with Sesame Seeds (High-Protein, Wholegrain)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 38 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 200 g wholegrain spelt flour (plus a little extra for dusting); 100 g oat flour (certified gluten-free oat flour if required); 2 tsp baking powder (aluminium-free preferred); 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 0.5 tsp fine sea salt; 250 g full-fat Greek yogurt (at room temperature); 2 large free-range eggs (1 for the dough, 1 yolk for brushing the top); 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp raw honey (or pure maple syrup); 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (helps activate the bicarbonate of soda); 3 tbsp sesame seeds (white or a mix of white and black for visual contrast); 1 tbsp whole milk (for mixing with the egg yolk wash)

Meal PrepNut-Free

Prep Time20 min

Cook Time38 min

Servings10

Calories198 kcal

Health Score5/10

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Traditional Balkan Pogaca Bread with Sesame Seeds (High-Protein, Wholegrain)

There is something deeply comforting about pulling a golden, sesame-crusted pogaca from the oven first thing in the morning. This traditional Balkan pogaca bread with sesame seeds has been a breakfast staple across the Balkans for generations, shared at family tables and festive gatherings alike. Our version keeps all that warmth and pillowy texture, but swaps white flour for a blend of wholegrain spelt and oat flour, adds Greek yogurt for extra protein, and keeps the sugar minimal so you get genuine nourishment alongside the ritual.

The secret to a beautifully soft crumb in this healthier pogaca is the Greek yogurt. It reacts with the baking powder to give a gentle lift without relying on refined bread improvers or excessive butter. A modest amount of extra-virgin olive oil replaces the large quantities of melted butter found in many traditional Serbian pogaca recipes, cutting saturated fat while keeping the crumb tender and moist. The sesame seeds on top are not just decorative. They add a subtle nuttiness, a lovely crunch and a genuine nutritional boost, delivering calcium, healthy fats and a hit of plant-based protein with every bite.

What makes this pogaca stand out from the usual breakfast bread is the combination of wholegrain spelt and oat flour. Spelt flour gives structure and a mildly nutty flavour that pairs beautifully with sesame. Oat flour softens the texture and bumps up the soluble fibre content, which helps you feel satisfied all the way through to lunch. Two eggs add richness and bind everything together, while a small spoonful of honey brings just enough sweetness without tipping the loaf into cake territory. The result is a bread that is genuinely filling, surprisingly high in protein for a loaf of this kind, and deeply satisfying in that old-school Balkan way.

You do not need any special equipment or bread-making experience to pull this off. The dough comes together quickly in one bowl, needs no kneading beyond a brief fold, and bakes in under 40 minutes. Serve it warm from the oven torn into generous pieces at the centre of the table, just as they do across the Balkans. Pair it with a bowl of full-fat yogurt, some sliced cucumber and a boiled egg for a complete and balanced breakfast that feels celebratory even on an ordinary Tuesday morning.

Ingredients

Serves:10

200 g wholegrain spelt flour (plus a little extra for dusting)
100 g oat flour (certified gluten-free oat flour if required)
2 tsp baking powder (aluminium-free preferred)
0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
0.5 tsp fine sea salt
250 g full-fat Greek yogurt (at room temperature)
2 large free-range eggs (1 for the dough, 1 yolk for brushing the top)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (helps activate the bicarbonate of soda)
3 tbsp sesame seeds (white or a mix of white and black for visual contrast)
1 tbsp whole milk (for mixing with the egg yolk wash)

Instructions

1
Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius, fan setting. Line a round 22 cm cake tin or cast iron skillet with baking parchment and lightly oil the sides.
A cast iron skillet gives the base a beautifully golden crust if you have one available.
2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the wholegrain spelt flour, oat flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and fine sea salt. Whisk them together briefly so the raising agents are evenly distributed throughout the flours.
3
In a separate jug or bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, 1 whole egg, olive oil, honey and apple cider vinegar until smooth and well combined. The mixture may look slightly curdled at first but keep whisking and it will come together.
Make sure your yogurt and egg are at room temperature. Cold ingredients from the fridge can make the dough stiff and uneven.
4
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, fold everything together gently until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overmix. Stop as soon as no dry streaks of flour remain.
Overmixing activates the gluten too much and can make the crumb dense rather than soft.
5
Lightly dust a clean surface with a little spelt flour. Turn the dough out and shape it gently into a round disc, roughly 20 cm in diameter and about 3 to 4 cm thick. Transfer it carefully into your prepared tin.
6
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg yolk and tablespoon of whole milk. Brush this mixture generously and evenly over the entire top surface of the pogaca. This gives it that gorgeous deep golden colour as it bakes.
Use a pastry brush for even coverage. Do not skip this step as it makes a real difference to the finished look.
7
Scatter the sesame seeds evenly over the glazed top, pressing them down very gently with your fingertips or the back of a spoon so they adhere to the surface and do not all roll off during baking.
A mix of white and black sesame seeds looks particularly striking and gives a slight variation in flavour.
8
Place the tin in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 38 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown, the sesame seeds are toasted and fragrant, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
If the top colours too quickly after 25 minutes, loosely tent it with a piece of foil to prevent the sesame seeds from burning.
9
Remove the pogaca from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. It is best served slightly warm, torn into wedges at the table in the traditional Balkan style.

Nutrition per serving

198kcal

Calories

Protein

24g

Carbs

Fat

Fibre

Sugar

220mg

Sodium

Pro Tips

✓
Room temperature ingredients make a noticeably softer dough, so take your yogurt and eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start.
✓
Do not substitute all the spelt flour with oat flour or the loaf will be too crumbly and will not hold its round shape.
✓
Toasting the sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes before scattering them on top intensifies their nutty flavour considerably.
✓
The apple cider vinegar is doing important work here, do not leave it out as it reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to create a lighter crumb.
✓
For a more savoury pogaca, reduce the honey to half a teaspoon and add a pinch of garlic powder or dried oregano to the dough.
✓
Scoring a cross or a simple pattern into the top of the dough before brushing with egg wash gives a beautifully authentic Balkan look.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is traditional Balkan pogaca bread?↓

Pogaca, sometimes spelled pogacha or pogača, is a round, soft flatbread that has been baked across the Balkans and Central Europe for centuries. It is traditionally made without yeast, relying instead on baking powder or fermented dairy for its rise. It is commonly served at breakfast, family gatherings and festive occasions, often placed whole in the centre of the table for everyone to tear apart together.

Why use spelt flour instead of white flour in pogaca?↓

Wholegrain spelt flour retains the bran and germ of the grain, giving you significantly more fibre, B vitamins, magnesium and zinc compared to refined white flour. It also has a gentle, nutty flavour that complements sesame seeds beautifully. The texture is still soft and the crumb is still tender, just more nutritious overall.

Can I make this pogaca dairy-free?↓

Yes. Replace the Greek yogurt with a thick, unsweetened coconut yogurt or a plain oat-based yogurt. Use a tablespoon of plant-based milk instead of dairy milk in the egg wash. The texture may be very slightly different but the loaf will still bake up soft and golden.

How do I know when the pogaca is fully baked?↓

The top should be a deep, even golden brown and the sesame seeds should smell toasted and fragrant. Insert a thin skewer or toothpick into the very centre of the loaf. If it comes out clean with no wet dough clinging to it, your pogaca is done. If it comes out sticky, give it another 3 to 5 minutes and check again.

Can I add a filling to this sesame pogaca?↓

Absolutely. A layer of crumbled feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes or sauteed spinach pressed into the centre of the dough before shaping is a popular Balkan variation. For a higher-protein version, a filling of low-fat cottage cheese mixed with fresh herbs works really well and stays true to the spirit of the recipe.

Is this pogaca suitable for meal prep?↓

It works well for meal prep. Bake it the day before, allow it to cool completely, then wrap tightly in a clean tea towel or store in an airtight container. It stays fresh and soft for up to 2 days at room temperature. You can also slice and freeze individual portions for up to one month.

Variations

•
Feta and Herb Sesame Pogaca
Flatten the dough into two equal discs. Scatter 80g of crumbled reduced-fat feta and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill or parsley over one disc, then place the second disc on top and seal the edges before glazing and seeding as normal. This adds protein and a deliciously savoury flavour.
•
Seeded Grain Pogaca
Add 2 tablespoons of mixed seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and flaxseed, directly into the dough along with the sesame topping. This boosts the fibre and healthy fat content considerably and gives every slice a satisfying crunch throughout.
•
Olive and Rosemary Pogaca
Fold 60g of pitted and roughly chopped Kalamata olives and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary into the dough before shaping. Reduce the honey to half a teaspoon. This creates a deeply savoury, Mediterranean-inflected version that pairs wonderfully with a bowl of vegetable soup.
•
Mini Pogaca Rolls
Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and shape each into a small round ball. Place them close together in a circular pattern in your prepared tin, brush with egg wash, scatter sesame seeds on top and bake for 22 to 25 minutes. These pull-apart rolls are great for meal prep and portion control.

Substitutions

•
Wholegrain spelt flour → Wholegrain wheat flour (Works as a direct one-to-one substitute. The flavour will be slightly earthier and the crumb a touch denser, but still very good.)
•
Oat flour → Buckwheat flour (Buckwheat adds a nuttier, more robust flavour and keeps the recipe naturally gluten-free friendly. Start with 80g as buckwheat is more absorbent.)
•
Greek yogurt → Low-fat quark or plain kefir (Quark gives a slightly denser crumb but higher protein content. Kefir is thinner so reduce it to 220g and expect a marginally more batter-like dough.)
•
Raw honey → Pure maple syrup or date syrup (All work as a direct one-to-one swap. Date syrup gives the most depth of flavour and a slightly lower glycemic impact.)
•
Sesame seeds → Poppy seeds or nigella seeds (Both are traditional Balkan toppings. Nigella seeds have a slightly peppery flavour that works particularly well with a savoury pogaca.)
•
Extra-virgin olive oil → Avocado oil or cold-pressed rapeseed oil (Both are neutral enough not to overpower the sesame flavour and have similarly healthy fat profiles to olive oil.)

🧊 Storage

Store completely cooled pogaca wrapped in a clean tea towel or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, slice into portions and freeze in a zip-lock bag for up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen in a 170 degree Celsius oven for 10 to 12 minutes or toast individual slices directly from frozen.

📅 Make Ahead

You can mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately the evening before, storing them in covered bowls in the fridge. Combine them in the morning, shape and bake fresh. Alternatively, bake the whole loaf the day before and reheat gently in a low oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 8 minutes before serving. It refreshes beautifully.