Centennial flavor: Yozgat's finger buns enchant all who taste them
Finger buns are baked in the oven, Yozgat, Turkey, April 22, 2022. (AA Photo)


"Finger buns," Yozgat's registered flavor prepared with sourdough, are among the indispensables of most tables, particularly breakfast tables. These small-sized bread have made a name for themselves and have left everyone leaving Yozgat wanting more.

The dough, prepared by kneading flour mixed with bran with sourdough, is then divided into four equal parts.

These dough pieces are joined together to form an oval at the beginning and at the end after they are stretched. In this way, the bread is called a "finger bun" because it resembles the fingers of the hand.

The bread is baked in a wood fire in a stone oven. The "finger bun," registered with a geographical indication by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, is generally consumed hot.

Baker Bekir Kırdemir, 57, who has been making finger buns for 40 years in Yozgat, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that he continued the legacy of his ancestors as the third generation baker after his grandfather and father.

Finger buns are prepared for the oven, Yozgat, Turkey, April 22, 2022. (AA Photo)
A baker pulls finger buns out of the oven, Yozgat, Turkey, April 22, 2022. (AA Photo)

Stating that the history of the bun dates back many years, Kırdemir explained that this centuries-old taste is unique to the city.

"It is a natural bread made entirely with sourdough. Its flour is special, its bran ratio is higher and its salt ratio is less than other bread. It is formed by combining four pieces of dough. It is baked in 260 grams in the oven and the embers of a wood fire at 260 degrees Celsius to 270 degrees Celsius (500 degrees to 518 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least 20 minutes," he explained.

Noting that finger buns are mostly preferred for breakfast, Kırdemir said that citizens living abroad also take plenty of the buns with them when they leave the city.

Kırdemir stated that the most beautiful gift brought by the people of Yozgat is the bun.

"The dish is consumed with cheese, Tulum cheese, pastrami, cream and honey. We want everyone who comes to Yozgat to taste this bread," he urged.

Ismail Başol, one of the city residents, also noted that they usually have their breakfast with finger buns and take them home hot from the bakery.

Similarly, Ahmet Başol stated they prefer finger buns for breakfast, especially on weekends.

"We got used to finger buns in Yozgat. We were conditioned as if we had to buy them once a week," he added.