Greaves Pogachas

Location: Banskobystrický kraj, okres Veľký Krtíš, Veľký Krtíš

GPS: N48°12'40'' E19°20'29''

Greaves “pogachas” are the favourite savoury pastries with wine or beer. They can´t be missing any celebration, feast or gathering. They are known throughout Slovakia and each region has "its" recipe that is the best.

Ingredients: 

500 g of fine flour
100 ml of sour cream
2 pcs of egg yolks
400 g of greaves
100 g of pork lard
3 spoons of white wine
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 pcs of egg yolks for swabbing
Salt, cumin, sesame, poppy
For the leaven:
¾ of a cube of yeast
200 ml of lukewarm milk
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar

Procedure: 

Prepare the leavening from milk, sugar and yeast. Sift the flour into a bowl, make a hole in the middle, add the leaven that has risen, a teaspoon of salt, eggs, wine, cream and knead smooth dough (you can also do it with a beater with kneading brushes). Sprinkle with fine flour and store in a warm place to make it rise (at least 30 min before multiplying its volume). Till the dough rises, grind about 2/3 of the greaves and cut the rest into small pieces. 

Mix all the greaves with ground black pepper (you do not have to use), about 1 teaspoon of salt and lard. Roll the dough lightly to about 1 cm layer, spread 1/3 of the greaves mass over it and fold the dough prepared in this way into the shape of an envelope, cover it and leave it to rise for about 20 minutes. Repeat the whole procedure of spreading and folding over 2 times. 

After the last rising, roll it out into a 1.5 cm layer, make the decorative grille on the dough with a knife and with a round form cut out the “pogachas” , which you put on the baking tray covered with baking paper. Smear the “pogachas” on the tray with egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. You can also sprinkle them with cumin, sesame, poppy seed - to taste. Leave the “pogachas” to rise for 30 min. and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° C for about 20 minutes.

Source: SACR