Pogácsa — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Flaky, buttery savory scones with a golden crackle-top crust, studded with cheese or crackling — Hungary's most popular snack bread.

Ingredients

500g all-purpose flour
200g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
7g instant yeast
200ml sour cream
2 egg yolks (1 for dough, 1 for egg wash)
150g sharp cheese, grated (or use cottage cheese)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Caraway seeds or sesame seeds for topping

Instructions

1 Mix flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2 Add sour cream, 1 egg yolk, and grated cheese. Mix until a soft dough forms. Do not overwork.
3 Wrap dough and refrigerate 30 min.
4 Roll dough to 2cm thickness. Cut rounds with a cutter. Score a cross-hatch pattern on each top.
5 Place on a lined baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with caraway seeds.
6 Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 min until deeply golden and flaky. Serve warm.

Did You Know?

Pogácsa is so central to Hungarian hospitality that offering one to a guest is considered a sign of welcome — the word itself comes from the Latin "panis focacius."