Belokranjska pogača
Bela krajina's flatbread: a soft, lard-enriched round, deeply scored in a diamond pattern and finished with coarse salt and caraway seeds before baking.
- prep
- 30 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total
- 55 min
- serves
- 8
- level
- easy
Pogača is a round flatbread found across the Balkans, and the version from Bela krajina, in southeast Slovenia, has its own look: a soft, slightly enriched dough shaped into a thick disc, scored deeply in a crosshatch, brushed with egg and sprinkled with coarse salt and caraway seeds.
It is the bread for weddings and big gatherings, torn apart at the table and eaten with cured meat, cheese or soup. It is good warm and still good the next day.
Belokranjska pogača is one of the twenty most famous Slovenian foods.
method
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and fine salt. Add the milk, water and lard and knead for 8 minutes into a smooth, soft dough.
Cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 220°C (430°F) with a baking sheet or stone inside.
Shape the dough into a round disc about 3cm thick. Place it on a sheet of baking paper.
Score it deeply, about 1cm, in a diamond crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle generously with coarse salt and caraway seeds. Rest 15 minutes.
Slide the pogača, on the paper, onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 22 to 25 minutes until deep golden. Cool slightly before tearing.
chef's tips
- Score deeply; shallow cuts disappear as the bread rises.
- The coarse salt is part of the identity, so do not skimp.
- It is best on the day it is baked; reheat day-old slices in a hot oven.