Hungarian Pogacsa Recipe By Betterbutter Editorial At Betterbutter Food

POGACSA (HUNGARIAN CHEESE BISCUITS)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine milk, yeast and sugar and let stand until yeast is softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add flour, cheese, salt, eggs, butter, and sour cream to the yeast mixture. Using an electric mixer, mix on low speed until dough comes together. Beat on medium speed 1 to 2 minutes. The dough should be smooth and not sticky.
• Roll dough 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Make a shallow cross-hatched pattern with the point of a sharp knife over the top of the dough and brush with egg yolk. Sprinkle cheese on top, and cut out rounds with a 1 to 1 1/2 inch cutter.
• Arrange circles in rows on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 1/4 inch apart. Put pan in a cold oven and set temperature to 400 degrees F. Bake about 25 minutes, until pogacsa are nicely browned on their tops and bottoms. Let cool completely and store airtight.
• Pogacsa may also be frozen up to 1 month. Thaw and reheat at 225 degrees F for 20 minutes.

HUNGARIAN CHEESE BISCUITS (POGáCSA)

Steps:

• To heat the milk, measure it into a 1-cup heatproof glass measure with pouring spout and microwave it for about 20 seconds. The milk should feel nicely warm to a fingertip. Not hot, or you'll kill the yeast! Sprinkle in the yeast and sugar, give a quick stir, and let stand until the liquid rises and is bubbly, about 10 minutes.
• Put the flour and salt into the large bowl of a stand mixer and stir to combine. Attach the flat beater. If using cold butter, add the pieces and mix on low speed for about 3 minutes until the butter is in pea-sized bits. If using frozen shredded butter, just mix it in on low speed for about 1 minute.
• Add the 5 ounces of cheese, the eggs, softened yeast, and 1/2 cup sour cream. Mix on low speed with the flat beater until the dough masses on the blade. If the dough seems dry, add a bit more sour cream. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. The dough should be nice and smooth and non-sticky.
• If making the dough by hand, stir everything together with a wooden spoon until the dough gathers into a coherent mass. Add more sour cream if the dough seems too dry.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. If you've made it by hand, knead briefly to make sure it is nice and smooth and non-sticky. If made with the mixer, just coat it lightly with the flour.
• Line a large baking sheet (17 x 12 inches) with cooking parchment. Adjust an oven rack to the lower third position but do not turn the oven on. NOTE: This is what I do according to Marika's directions. If your oven takes a long time to heat up, preheat the oven to 400 degrees before baking the biscuits, and check for doneness 15 to 20 minutes from the time you put the biscuits in the oven.
• Roll the dough 1/2-inch-thick (no thinner!) on the lightly floured surface. An 11- to 12-inch diameter circle will give you the right thickness. Make a shallow cross-hatched pattern, about 1/2-inch, with a sharp knife all over the dough surface.
• For the topping, combine the egg yolk and water in a small bowl, and brush all over the rolled dough. Sprinkle the cheese on top and press it very gently to stick to the yolk.
• With a floured cutter, stamp out rounds with a 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-inch diameter. If the biscuits stick to the cutter, nudge them loose with the tip of a paring knife. If you wish, cup the palms of your hands around each biscuit to smooth the sides. Gather the leftover dough and reshape into a ball. Roll out and cut our circles as before. I don't bother glazing them with egg yolk or topping with cheese because these ingredients are mixed into the dough during reshaping of the scraps.
• Arrange the biscuits in rows about 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. Put the pan in the oven and turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Bake about 25 minutes, until the pogácsa are nicely browned on their tops and bottoms. Cool completely and store airtight.
• Pogácsa may also be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw and reheat in a moderate oven for 5 to 8 minutes to refresh them.

BACON OR CRACKLING SCONES (POGáCSA)

Steps:

• Gently heat the milk in a pan until it is lukewarm, then pour it into a jug and stir in the yeast. Leave it for 15 minutes or so to get working and froth up.
• Meanwhile, heat a heavy-based pan and fry the bacon bits until crisp and golden. Remove them from the pan and leave to cool.
• Sift the flour into a bowl and mix with the baking powder and salt. Stir in the parmesan and caraway seeds.
• Put the butter in a small pan over a gentle heat and allow it to melt until it is just liquid. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the soured cream and add the beaten eggs - make sure the butter isn't too hot or the eggs will scramble. Add the cooled crispy bacon and stir in the yeasty milk.
• Pour the buttery egg and bacon mixture into a large bowl, then add the flour and other dry ingredients, a little at a time, until everything is combined.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes or so until elastic. You can do this with a mixer and a dough hook if you like. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave it in a draught-free place for about an 1½ hours until it has doubled in size.
• Turn the dough out again and knock it back with your knuckles. Dust the dough with flour and roll it out to about 4 cm/1½ in thick. Cut out rounds with a pastry cutter and place them on a sheet of silicone baking parchment on a baking tray. Using a sharp knife, cut a criss-cross pattern on the top of each one, then leave to rest for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Brush the scones with the beaten egg and water to glaze and bake them for 25-30 minutes until golden.
• Eat them warm, split in half and spread with butter. Perfect with beef goulash soup.

HUNGARIAN BUTTER COOKIES - POGACSA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in large mixing bowl. Add butter or margarine, and, using clean hands, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and sour cream, and mix until dough holds together. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
• Pinch off small egg-size pieces of dough and form into balls. Place on buttered or nonstick cookie sheet, and use fingers to press to about 1/2 inch thick. Make a crosshatch design by pressing the back of fork tines on top of each cookie. Cookies should be spaced about 1-inch apart.
• Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, or until pale golden. Continue baking in batches.
• Serve as a sweet snack.