Pogaca Serbian Bread Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine milk, yeast and sugar and let stand until yeast is softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add flour, cheese, salt, eggs, butter, and sour cream to the yeast mixture. Using an electric mixer, mix on low speed until dough comes together. Beat on medium speed 1 to 2 minutes. The dough should be smooth and not sticky.
• Roll dough 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Make a shallow cross-hatched pattern with the point of a sharp knife over the top of the dough and brush with egg yolk. Sprinkle cheese on top, and cut out rounds with a 1 to 1 1/2 inch cutter.
• Arrange circles in rows on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 1/4 inch apart. Put pan in a cold oven and set temperature to 400 degrees F. Bake about 25 minutes, until pogacsa are nicely browned on their tops and bottoms. Let cool completely and store airtight.
• Pogacsa may also be frozen up to 1 month. Thaw and reheat at 225 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the flour with baking soda in a bowl; set aside.
• Mix the canola oil, butter, yogurt, eggs, sour cream, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients to form a soft dough. Knead and squeeze the dough in the bowl until it is no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Stir the feta cheese, parsley, olive oil, and paprika together in a bowl with a fork to make a filling.
• Make each dumpling by pinching off about 2 1/2 tablespoons of dough; roll into a ball about 1 3/4 inches across between your hands, and press it into a flat circle 3 inches across on your palm. Spoon 1 scant tablespoon of filling into the center of the circle. Bring the edges of the circle together over the filling, and pinch them together to make a fat, round little stuffed dumpling. Set the dumplings onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, seam sides down. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl, and brush the pogaca tops with the egg yolk. Sprinkle each with about 1/4 teaspoon of sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are shiny, brown, and crackled, 20 to 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Scald milk and add butter. Allow to cool to lukewarm. Add yeast and sugar and stir until dissolved.
• Measure 5 cups flour into work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add milk-yeast mixture, sour cream, oil, egg and salt. Mix well.
• Switch to dough hook and knead on medium-low for about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Turn out into a large greased bowl. Flip dough over to grease both sides, cover and let rise until doubled.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Punch down dough and place in a 10-inch round greased pan with high sides (about 3 inches) or handshape into a 10-inch round and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Using a sharp knife or a "lame," slash top of dough three times. Some make an "X" on top. Bake about 1 hour or until instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Add sugar oil and egg.
• Gradually stir in flour until combined and soft dough forms.
• Knead in bowl for 1 minute.
• Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.
• Roll on floured board into large, slightly flattened circle.
• Prick with fork all over.
• Brush top with oil or butter and let sit 20 minutes.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add Sugar oil and egg. Gradually stir in flour until combined and soft dough forms. Knead in bowl for 1 minute. Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled. Roll on floured board into large, slightly flattened circle. Prick with fork all over. Brush top with oil or butter and let sit 20 minutes. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Steps:

• 1. Mix salt, sugar, yeast and water in a large bowl.
• 2. Add 3 cups flour & mix well (use large wooden spoon). Add 3 Tbsp. oil and mix well, dough will become very sticky. Add 2 cups flour and mix well (use hands).
• 3. Let dough rest in bowl about 5-minutes. Then take out and knead on lightly floured board for 5- minutes, until smooth.
• 4. Grease bowl with 1 tsp. of oil. Put dough in & spin so top & bottom is greased. Cover with plastic wrap & let it raise until doubled. To test if doubled - poke with two fingers into dough, if the holes stay the dough has doubled.
• 5. Take out dough and divide in half. Knead each part about 2-minutes, shape into round ball & flatten with hands to about a 1" high -7 or 8" diameter loaf. Prick with fork deep into dough all over. Makes 2 pogacas (this should be done on a large cookie sheet that has been greased with shortening). Cover & let raise until double.
• 6. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 25 to 30 minutes. Tap bottom, if it sounds hollow its done. Grease top with a little shortening, let cool on rack.

Steps:

• 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).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Take a knife and carve squares half deep into the dough.
• Dampen the surface with a mixture of 1 beaten egg and a tablespoon milk - use a brush.
• Sprinkle with salt and cumin.
• 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.
• 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).