Dražgoški kruhki
Slovenian honey-spice breads from the village of Dražgoše: a rye dough sweetened with honey and warm spices, pressed into decorative shapes and baked until firm.
- prep
- 45 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total
- 1 h
- serves
- 24
- level
- medium
Dražgoški kruhki are a folk craft as much as a food. In the village of Dražgoše, honey dough is pressed into carved wooden molds, or shaped by hand into hearts, flowers and little horses, then baked and sometimes decorated with colored glaze. They are given as gifts and hung up as decorations.
The dough is traditionally rye-based and sweetened with honey and warm spices. It is ideally made a day ahead and rested, which makes the dough easier to roll and the flavor deeper.
Dražgoški kruhki is one of the twenty most famous Slovenian foods.
method
Warm the honey, sugar and water in a saucepan, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves. Cool until lukewarm.
Mix the rye flour, wheat flour, baking soda and spices in a bowl. Stir in the honey mixture to form a stiff, sticky dough.
Wrap and rest the dough overnight at room temperature, or at least 4 hours; it will firm up and become easier to handle.
Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line baking sheets with paper.
Roll the dough out on a rye-floured surface to about 7mm thick. Press it into floured carved wooden molds, or cut shapes with cookie cutters, and place them on the sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until firm. Brush with the honey glaze straight from the oven for a shine, if you like.
Cool completely on a rack. They are crisp at first and soften slightly after a day, which is traditional.
chef's tips
- Flour the molds well with rye flour, or the sticky honey dough will not release.
- No wooden molds? Cookie cutters and a fork or stamp for decoration give a similar look.
- They keep for weeks in a tin and make good edible gifts.