Belokranjska Pogaca (Bread, Focaccia)

Submitted by skviki

"A delightful low bread made for special occasions like wine harvest, family celebrations, St. Martin's day (when grape juice turns into wine). Characterisitc for south eastern region of Slovenia. Goes very well with meat dishes, as a companion to a glass of wine"

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 kg white flour (mix of soft and hard, durum flour preferably)
• 35 g yeast (or sour dough if available)
• 2 -3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1 -2 teaspoon salt
• some cumin (Carum carvi)

directions

1. Mix yeast with 1-2 teaspoons of honey and 0.1l lukewarm water and a teaspoon or two of flour. Wait untill it rises (about 10 minutes).
2. Mix the risen yeast with flour and add 1-2 beaten eggs, salt and water as needed to make a nice medium firm silky textured dough (for special occasions water can be replaced with mixture of sour cream and milk - be careful that either water or cream/milk mixture isn't cold or hot). I also suggest that you dissolve the salt in a little water before adding.
3. Leave it to rise in a warm place (but not too warm) for aprox. half an hour, sometimes more. If you add more oil or cream or eggs the time to rise the dough prolongs. As I make it it usually takes about 45 minutes.
4. Put the risen dough on a floured surface and gently beat it to fit the baking plate. You should get a 1.5 -2 cm thick dough. If you have a smaller oven or baking plate it will probably make two pogaca breads. Traditionally it is round shaped, but you can adapt it to your baking plate.
5. Take a knife and carve squares half deep into the dough.
6. Dampen the surface with a mixture of 1 beaten egg and a tablespoon milk - use a brush.
7. Sprinkle with salt and cumin.
8. Leave it for up to 10 minutes if you want the bread to be a little bit higher or bake it immediately in the oven at 200C for about 20 - 30 minutes untill nice golden brown.
9. On different occasions you can enrich the Belokranjska pogaca with cheese (sprinkle small dices on top instead of cumin) or some dry meat (smoked ham -- ). The pogaca is also sometimes made with onions which are cut in small, fried untill brown, cooled down then mixed into the dough (step 2).