Bread and Pastry Recipes
Pagáče (Pagache) with Cracklings
12 servings
Pagáče (Pagache) with Cracklings, the yeasty biscuit buns that are the pride of Slovakia, are essentially little pockets of heaven. These delightful rounds have their roots in a Turkish treat called "pogaca," and they've charmed their way into the hearts of folks in Serbia and Croatia, too - that's where the Slovakian name comes from. The secret to their flaky, layered goodness is laminating the dough, often with crispy cracklings, although cheese is a tasty option as well. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even make the pork cracklings from scratch (or take the easy route and buy them). Trust me, your taste buds will thank you. Read More
Bread and Pastry Recipes
Before You Start
Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…
Introduction to My Pagáče (Pagache) with Cracklings
I am excited to share my recipe for Pagáče (Pagache) with Cracklings. These yeasty biscuit buns are truly the pride of Slovakia and are essentially little pockets of heaven. While these delightful rounds have their roots in a Turkish treat called “pogaca,” they have charmed their way into the hearts of folks in Serbia and Croatia too, which is where the Slovakian name comes from. I find that the secret to their flaky layered goodness is laminating the dough. This is often done with crispy pork cracklings, although cheese is a tasty option as well. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even make the pork cracklings from scratch using my recipe, or you can take the easy route and buy them. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you for trying this authentic Slovakian pastry.
Preparing the Leaven for Pagáče
To begin my Pagáče (Pagache) with Cracklings, I always start by preparing the leaven. This is a crucial step to ensure the yeasty biscuit buns rise correctly. I place ¼ cup of bread flour (though all-purpose works too), 1 tablespoon of confectioners’ sugar, and 2 teaspoons of active dry yeasts into a medium mixing bowl. I also add ½ cup of lukewarm milk, ensuring it is about 90 to 100°F. I thoroughly stir this with a whisk until it is fully combined, which takes about 30 seconds. After mixing, I cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and set it aside until it doubles in volume, which usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes.
Mixing and Kneading the Dough
Once the leaven is ready, I move on to the dough for this Slovakian pastry. I place 2 ½ cups of bread flour, ½ teaspoon of whole caraway seeds, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground pepper into a kitchen mixer with a hook attachment and shortly hand stir with a whisk. Then, I add ½ stick of very soft butter, 1 egg, another ½ cup of lukewarm milk, and the prepared leaven. I knead this at a slow speed until the ingredients are partially combined. I then increase the speed to medium-high and knead until nicely combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. The final dough is slightly sticky, so I use a bowl scraper to release it from the hook and the bowl before covering it to let it rise in a warm place until it has approximately doubled in size.
Processing the Pork Cracklings
A key element of Pagáče (Pagache) with Cracklings is, of course, the filling. You can prepare cracklings according to my recipe or use store-bought or homemade cracklings. It is important to let the pork cracklings fully cool or remove them from the refrigerator before use. I place 1 to 2 cups of these cracklings into a kitchen food processor and process them into a paste. This paste is essential for the later steps where we laminate Pagáče dough to create that delicious flavor profile. I place this paste aside for the later steps.
Laminating the Dough: Phase I
To achieve that flaky layered goodness, I laminate Pagáče dough in two phases on a lightly floured surface. For Phase I, I use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a square shape (it can be partially round) until I reach a desired thickness of about 1/4 inch. I then spread the crackling paste evenly over the entire surface of the dough. I fold the dough into thirds—bringing one-third over the middle third, then folding the second third over the first. From the other side, I fold it again into thirds the same way. I cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Laminating the Dough: Phase II
After the first rest, I continue to laminate Pagáče dough. Working again on a lightly floured surface, I use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a square shape until I reach a desired thickness of about 1/2 inch. I fold the dough into thirds again, bringing one-third over the middle third, then folding the second third over the first. It is important that I do not fold further in this step. I cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for about 15 minutes before the final shaping of my Pagáče (Pagache) with Cracklings.
Forming, Topping, and Baking
Finally, I roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/2 inch and use a 2-inch round cookie cutter (or a glass) to cut out individual Pagáče (Pagache) with Cracklings. I place them on a baking sheet and let them proof for about 15 minutes. Before baking, I brush them with a whisked egg and sprinkle with salt crystals and caraway seeds. If I plan not to eat them within 8-10 hours, I skip the salt crystals as they can melt. I bake them in a preheated 350°F oven until they turn a nice golden color, about 10-15 minutes.
Popular questions
What should I do with the leftover dough scraps after cutting out the rounds?
After I cut all the round shapes for my Pagáče (Pagache) with Cracklings, I place the remaining unused dough on the baking sheet. While it won’t be as pretty as the round pagáče, it will taste equally delicious. This provides a nice snack of flaky layered goodness before serving the main yeasty biscuit buns.
Pagáče (Pagache) with Cracklings
Ingredients:
Click any ingredient to learn moreLeaven:
¼ cup of bread flour (or all-pourpose)
1 TBSP of confectioners’ sugar
2 TSP of active dry yeasts
½ cup of lukewarm milk (about 90 to 100°F)
Dough:
2 ½ cups of bread flour (or all-pourpose)
½ TSP of whole caraway seeds
½ TSP of salt
½ TSP of ground pepper
½ stick of unsalted butter - room temperature (4 TBSP)
1 egg
½ cup of lukewarm milk (about 90 to 100°F)
Filling:
1 - 2 cups of pork cracklings (škvarky) (store-bought or recipe here, adjust if needed)
Brush & Sprinkle with:
1 egg
Tools:
Click any tool to learn more2x French Whisk
1x Kitchen Mixer with Hook Attachment (or large mixing bowl)
1x Plate (or plastic wrap)
1x Rolling Pin
1x 2” Round Cookie Cutter (or glass)
Nutrition per 1 Serving:(recipe split into 12 servings)
EstimatedCalories 169
Protein 5.5 g
Fat 5.8 g
Saturated fat 3.1 g
Carbohydrate 23.3 g
Sugars 2.1 g
Fiber 1.0 g
Sodium 88 mg
Cholesterol 43 mg
Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients above using the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central reference data. An estimate, not a measurement — brands, sizes and how much of a marinade actually ends up on the plate all move it.
Directions:
1.Leaven:
Let’s start the preparation of Pagáče (Pagache) with Cracklings by preparing the leaven.
1.1.
Place into a medium mixing bowl:
¼ cup of bread flour
1 TBSP of confectioners’ sugar
2 TSP of active dry yeasts
½ cup of lukewarm milk
Thoroughly stir with a whisk until fully combined (about 30 seconds).
1.2.
Cover with plastic wrap or plate.
2.Dough:
2.1.
Place into a kitchen mixer with a hook attachment:
2 ½ cups of bread flour
½ TSP of whole caraway seeds
½ TSP of salt
½ TSP of ground pepper
And shortly hand stir with a whisk.
2.2.
Add:
½ stick of very soft butter
1 egg
½ cup of lukewarm milk
Leaven from step 1
Knead at a slow speed until all ingredients are partially combined.
2.3.
Then increase the speed to medium-high and knead until nicely combined (about 1- 2 minutes).
Note:
The final dough is slightly sticky and can partially stick to the bottom of the bowl. Use a bowl scraper to release it from the hook and the bottom of the bowl.
3.Rising the Dough:
3.1.
Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and cover it with plastic wrap or plate.
4.Pork Cracklings Preparation:
4.1.
Prepare cracklings according to the recipe or use store-bought.
4.2.
Then let pork cracklings fully cool or remove from the refrigerator.
4.3.
Place 1 – 2 cups of pork cracklings into the kitchen food processor and process them into a paste.
4.4.
Place aside for the later steps.
5.Laminate Pagáče Dough Phase I:
Note: Work on a lightly floured surface.
5.1.
5.2.
Spread the crackling paste evenly over the entire surface of the dough.
5.3.
6.Laminate Pagáče Dough Phase II:
Note: Work on a lightly floured surface.
6.1.
6.2.
6.3.
Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
7.Form and Proof Pagáče Pagache with Cracklings:
7.2.
Using a cookie cutter, cut out individual pagáče and place them directly on the baking sheet.
Tips:
- It’s best to use a round cookie cutter with a diameter of about 2 inches, but you can experiment with other sizes too.
- If you don’t have a round cookie cutter, use a glass, preferably with thin walls.
- After you cut all the round shapes, place the remaining unused dough on the baking sheet – it won’t be as pretty as the round pagáče, but it will taste equally delicious and give you a nice snack before serving the pagáče.
7.3.
Place the baking sheet aside and let the pagáče proof (rest) for about 15 minutes at room temperature.
8.Final Preparation & Baking:
8.1.
Set oven to preheat to 350°F.
8.2.
Crack one egg into the mixing bowl and then whisk thoroughly.
8.3.
8.4.
Bake in a preheated oven until they are fully baked and turned to a nice golden color (about 10 – 15 minutes).
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