Pogácsa with cracklings
In Hungary pogácsa, small savoury scones, are served with wine and at parties, and the version with cracklings (tepertős) is one of the favourites. A yeast dough with sour cream and a splash of wine is layered three times with a paste of ground cracklings, like puff pastry. Baked, the scones rise tall and flake apart at the sides, crumbly and full of pepper and pork flavour. The hallmark is a fine grid scored on top.
Your own work in that: 1 h 25 min.
- Starter 10 min
- Kneading 10 min
- Rising 30 min
- Crackling paste 10 min
- Layering and folding 60 min
- Scoring and cutting 15 min
- Proving 20 min
- Baking 45 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneMake the starter
Crumble the yeast into the lukewarm milk with the sugar and leave 10 minutes until foamy.
Ingredients: 500 g plain flour · 20 g fresh yeast · 150 ml lukewarm milk · 1 tsp sugar · 100 g sour cream (18%) · 2 pcs egg yolks · 2 tbsp dry white wine · 1½ tsp salt
Knead the dough
Mix the flour with the salt, add the starter, sour cream, yolks and wine. Knead 10 minutes to a smooth, medium-soft dough. Cover and leave 30 minutes.
Ingredients: 500 g plain flour · 20 g fresh yeast · 150 ml lukewarm milk · 1 tsp sugar · 100 g sour cream (18%) · 2 pcs egg yolks · 2 tbsp dry white wine · 1½ tsp salt
Grind the cracklings
Grind the cracklings with the pepper in a meat grinder or food processor to a thick, spreadable paste. If very dry, add a spoonful of lard.
Ingredients: 200 g pork cracklings · 1 tsp ground black pepper · 1 tbsp lard · 1 pcs egg for brushing
A spreadable paste — with lard if needed.First fold
Roll the dough into a rectangle 1 cm thick. Spread a third of the paste over two thirds of it and fold in three, like a letter. Cover and rest 15 minutes.
Ingredients: 200 g pork cracklings · 1 tsp ground black pepper · 1 tbsp lard · 1 pcs egg for brushing
In three, like a letter — the layers form.Repeat twice
Roll out and layer the dough the same way twice more, resting it 15 minutes each time. Resting relaxes the dough, so it rolls out easily and the layers do not tear.
Ingredients: 200 g pork cracklings · 1 tsp ground black pepper · 1 tbsp lard · 1 pcs egg for brushing
Score and cut
Roll the dough 2 cm thick. Score a fine grid on top with a knife, 2 mm deep, and cut out rounds with a 4–5 cm cutter. Press straight down without twisting, or you will seal the layers.
Ingredients: 500 g plain flour · 20 g fresh yeast · 150 ml lukewarm milk · 1 tsp sugar · 100 g sour cream (18%) · 2 pcs egg yolks · 2 tbsp dry white wine · 1½ tsp salt
Cutter straight down — the layers stay open.Brush and prove
Set the scones on lined trays, brush the tops with beaten egg without letting it run down the sides, and leave 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 200°C.
Ingredients: 200 g pork cracklings · 1 tsp ground black pepper · 1 tbsp lard · 1 pcs egg for brushing
Bake until golden
Bake the trays one after the other, each for 20–22 minutes, until risen and deep golden — about 45 minutes in all. Keep the second tray somewhere cool meanwhile so the scones do not overprove. They are best still warm, with a glass of white wine.
Ingredients: 500 g plain flour · 20 g fresh yeast · 150 ml lukewarm milk · 1 tsp sugar · 100 g sour cream (18%) · 2 pcs egg yolks · 2 tbsp dry white wine · 1½ tsp salt
Before you start
Cracklings
Cracklings rendered at home from pork back fat are best — 200 g of cracklings takes about 1 kg of back fat, and you get plenty of lard as well. They should not be fried hard, or the paste will be dry and lumpy.
Dough scraps
Stack the scraps gently, without kneading, and roll again. Scones from them rise lower, as the layers get mixed.
Storage
Pogácsa keeps 2–3 days in a tin. You can freeze the unbaked, cut scones and bake them from frozen, adding 5 minutes.
