Pogácsa (Hungarian Savory Cheese Scones)
In short: Small, flaky cheese scones made with a folded yeast and sour cream dough, scored in a crisscross and baked until golden and tender. It takes about 1 h in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Resting
- 1 h 30 min
- Total
- 1 h
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 560 kcal
Pogácsa are the small savory scones of Hungary, baked at home for guests, parties and school events, and sold at every bakery. The dough is enriched with butter, sour cream and egg yolk, folded like puff pastry for flaky layers, and mixed with grated cheese. Each round is scored in a crisscross pattern, brushed with egg and topped with a little more cheese. They are best warm, and they go well with soup or a glass of wine.
Instructions
- Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Stir in the sour cream, egg yolks, milk and the 120 g of cheese to form a soft dough. Do not overwork it. Pat into a rectangle, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface to a rectangle about 1 cm (1/2 in) thick. Fold it in thirds like a letter, turn it 90 degrees and roll out again. Repeat the fold and roll twice more, chilling in between if the dough softens.
- Roll the dough to 2 cm (3/4 in) thick. Score the surface in a fine crisscross with the back of a knife, cutting about 3 mm deep.
- Cut out rounds with a 5 cm (2 in) cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Re-roll the scraps once.
- Place the rounds on baking trays lined with baking paper, 3 cm (1 in) apart. Cover and rest for 30 minutes while the oven heats.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Brush the pogácsa with beaten egg and sprinkle with the topping cheese.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until risen and golden brown. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes and serve warm.
Tips
- Keep the dough cold. If the butter softens while you fold, chill the dough for 15 minutes. Press the cutter straight down so the layers rise evenly.
- For variations, add 1 tsp of caraway seeds or crushed black pepper to the dough, or replace the cheese in the dough with 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill.
Questions and answers
Can I freeze pogácsa?
Yes. Freeze baked and cooled pogácsa for up to 2 months and reheat at 160°C (325°F) for 8 minutes. You can also freeze the cut, unbaked rounds and bake them from frozen with 5 extra minutes.
What cheese is used in pogácsa?
A firm, tasty cheese such as Emmental, aged Gouda or mature Cheddar. Hungarian bakers often use trappista, a mild semi-hard cheese.
How long do pogácsa keep?
In an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days. They are best on the day they are baked.
How long does it take to make Pogácsa (Hungarian Savory Cheese Scones)?
About 1 h in total: 40 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Pogácsa (Hungarian Savory Cheese Scones)?
About 560 kcal per serving, with 17 g of protein, 48 g of carbohydrates and 33 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 560 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48 g |
| Fat | 33 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 520 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
