Filled with eager anticipation and a culinary wanderlust, I made the bold choice to start my journey with a timeless yet trendy Hungarian delight—the Pogácsa. Confident in my prowess, I embarked on a flavour-packed expedition that would transport my taste buds to Hungary. You can't visit Hungary without eating pogácsa. The etymology of the word "pogácsa" unveils a fascinating linguistic journey. Its roots can be traced back to the Latin phrase "panis focacius," which translates to "bread baked on the hearth." As time passed, this culinary gem found its way into the southern Slavic languages, assuming the form of "pogača." then into its Hungarian spelling "pogácsa". This linguistic evolution echoes the transformation of a humble bread into a delectable treat. Hungarian folk tales often weave a delightful narrative where the hero, poised for a grand adventure, carries pogácsa baked in glowing embers, offering fortitude on the hero's journey.
For me, it is not about heroic journey, but the memory of family gatherings. The echoes of laughter filling the air as cousins play, and there is the irresistible aroma of freshly baked pogacsa, a prelude to the dinner that awaits. It is a symbol of connection, the family and food creating lasting memories.
There are a number of pogácsa recipes in Mom's book, so bake them all. I myself have a number of recipes, so if you came to visit, you might have had a chance to try it. Pogácsa is my goto food to take to potluck dinners, they are always loved. My recipes tend to include grated cheese in the dough, or cottage cheese (and by cottage cheese I mean the pressed European version). This recipe however, combined both cheese and cottage cheese and added sour cream to make the dough even tastier.
This is the original page, marking the (source), my Aunt Emő, who used to bake this for family gatherings. Mom got the recipe from her and made it many-many times.
For those who don't read cursive, or Hungarian, or just not familiar with what '1 Rama' means, I thought I will publish the recipe here in English.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup whole milk (lukewarm)
2.5 tsp active dry yeast
½ tsp sugar
250g margarine
3 large eggs (lightly beaten)
200 gr cottage cheese (dry pressed)
200 gr grated cheese (Gruyere or Swiss)
800 gr unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup – 1 cup sour cream
1 large egg (beaten) for glazing
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the milk until lukewarm (can’t be hot otherwise it kills the yeast). Sprinkle the yeast on top w the sugar and let it stand until the liquid rises and is bubbly (for about 10 minutes).
2. Mix all other ingredients. If making the dough by hand, stir everything together with a wooden spoon, until the dough gathers. Start with adding ½ cup of the sour cream, then add the rest so a nice light dough form. If it feels too dry, add more sour cream. (Alternatively, you may use a stand mixer).
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it briefly to make sure it is nice and smooth, soft, and not sticky. Place the dough in a bowl and let it rest for 5 hrs in the fridge. (Overnight works best).
4. After it rested, roll the dough out on the lightly floured surface to about an inch thick flat rectangle. With a sharp knife, make a cross-hatched pattern, all over the surface.
5. Preheat oven to 375F (convection bake) or adjust temp according to your oven.
6. With a floured cutter, cut out rounds and arrange those on baking sheets. Glaze the tops with the beaten egg then arrange them onto baking sheet.
Bake in over for about 25 mins or until golden.
Let me know how it worked! Jó étvágyat!
Finom lett!