The word flat is in parenthesis as traditionally, this bread is flattened and has a compressed texture.
My mother, partner, and I prefer that the bread retain a puffy, rounded shape that leads to a light, airy interior.
The recipe that I am building off of is found in the Favorite Recipes Compiled by the Serbian Sisters ~ Princess Zorka, South Chicago, Illinois. My mother has a copy and so did my Aunt Marg, who generously donated her copy to my kitchen. (Thank you Aunt Marg, you rock!)
The book is currently out of print and very hard to find but the recipes inside are amazing! The recipe, as it appears here, cannot be found in Favorite Recipes Compiled by the Serbian Sisters ~ Princess Zorka, South Chicago, Illinois as I have altered it to suit my palate and needs.
You can, however, find the recipe for Elephant Stew in the book, in case you need to feed an army. Just remember, not everyone likes hare in their food!
Pogaca is a bread that I prepare around Orthodox Christmas, January 7th. It is actually the first bread I remember learning how to bake!
I bake it in bulk and give it away to friends and family. Connecting with people over food is a very important part of being a person in the world; during the holidays, it is even more so.
It doesn't hurt that pogaca is absolutely delicous!
Beat the eggs until the yolks are mixed with the whites.
Note: Do not over beat the eggs. You will only wind up with sore arms and a funky texture.
Add the vanilla into the eggs, whisking to combine.
Note: Again, avoid egg abuse.
Set it into the fridge to be pulled out later. You do not want the mixture to drop in temperature for too long.
Note: Don't be sad, your eggs and vanilla will have their time to shine!
The first step is to scald the milk. This means pouring the milk into a sturdy pan and heating it until it reaches 170 degrees.
Note: Scalding the milk allows it to caramelize the sugars within the milk. It lends a unique flavor to this bread.
Note: Skalding the milk or scolding the milk are always options but I've discovered that poetry or chastisement produce the same results.
Once the milk is at 170 degrees, add the butter.
Note: The butter will melt faster if you add it in smaller chunks rather than whole big pieces.
Use a whisk to combine and insure that the butter has moved from a solid to a liquid.
Once the butter has melted into the milk creating a mixture add the sugar.
Note: I pace the addition of the sugar by stirring and combining it a quarter of a cup at a time. I wait until the first quarter cup of sugar looks like it has dissolved before adding more.
All of the solids should be fully dissolved and the liquids combined to create a sweet, buttery concoction. At this point, pull the liquid off of the burner.
The. mixture MUST rest until it reaches between 120 110 degrees.
Note: This is vital. Yeast starts dying at temperatures of above 120 degrees. This means that if you do not observe the temperature requirements, disaster is sure to follow.
Note: Do not let the mixture cool beyond 100 degrees or else things will start to separate. Remember, we want everything warm and blended. So don't go shoving it into the fridge or something silly. It can cool on the counter like a boss.
Note: I know you're in this to give the yeast false hopes only to slaughter the little guys whole-sale later as the meme indicates. However, you cannot kill them too quickly. They've got work to do first.
While you're waiting for the milk mixture to cool, in a separate bowl combine the yeast, salt, and flour by adding the flour first and then, on one side of the bowl, the yeast and on the other side, the salt.
Note: DO NOT PUT THE YEAST DIRECTLY ONTO THE SALT OR THE SALT DIRECTLY ON TO THE YEAST, FOR THE LOVE OF BREAD! Seriously, the salt will kill your yeast before you've even got going. Don't do it.
Set aside the flour mixture until the milk mixture is good to go.
Once your milk mixture is within range, add the egg and vanilla mixture to the milk, whisking it all together so it is completely combined.
A half a cup at a time, add the flour mixture. Make sure the flour has a chance to dissolve before adding more. Once all of the flour is added, you should have a warm, soft pliable dough.
Note: If the dough seems too loose, add more flour a tablespoon at a time until the consistency of something you can knead is there. Do not add vast quantities because too much flour will ruin the texture. (Bread, ugh, am I right?)
Note: I use a Kitchen Aid mixer for this part but before I owned one, I did it by hand. My arms were BUFF! (Disclaimer: Not really, they were just tired.)
Sprinkle some flour onto your counter, just enough so that way the dough doesn't stick to it. Now, lift or dump the dough out of the bowl you used to mix everything together and put it in the middle of your lightly floured surface.
Note: Again, you aren't going to dump a ton of flour on your counter as the flour is strictly meant to keep the dough from cleaving to your counter for dear life.
Note: If you are going to lift the dough out of the bowl, dust your hands with flour like you're going to float like a butterfly or sting like a bee.
Once you are prepared to begin kneading, take the dough and fold it in half, then, turn it 90 degrees on the counter and do it again. Keep doing it until the dough has a nice, smooth, satiny texture and is formed into a ball.
How do you know you are done kneading?
You can perform the windowpane test by taking a small-sized ball of it and stretching it between your fingers gently. If you can stretch it until the light just comes through it, you are good to go. If it tears, you need to keep kneading.*
Note: You don't want to overwork the dough but you DO want to make sure that the gluten strands are built up and strong so the whole thing holds together well.
Note: Folding allows the stretching of the gluten. If you are too rough with it, the strands will break rather than build - don't be that person. Seriously, what did it ever do to you?
*The pun is ALWAYS intended.
Set the dough in an area that is warm and cover it with a cloth or use a proofing bucket to let it rise.
Note: If you live in a hot, dry climate consider getting a proofing oven.
Note: If you live in a warm, humid climate and it is summer outside, place that dough on your porch where it can get some sunshine but make sure that the container you have it in is air tight. If it isn't, that's how you get ants. No one wants ants.
The dough is now experiencing the first rise. Whee!
The first rise takes as long as it takes. I have given up attempting to predict how long it will take - there are entirely too many factors. However, you know that dough has completed its first rise by:
1. It has doubled in size.
2. When you stick a couple of fingers into the dough and then remove them, the finger holes remain, well, holes!
3. If the previous conditions are not met, it needs more time. If two hours have passed and the dough has not changed, something went wrong somewhere. It is time to do the super fun exercise of trying to figure out what you did wrong the first time around so you don't make the mistake again.
Note: You must try again. I'm sorry. I don't make the rules. You can't give up on this.
Once the dough has successfully jumped the first hurdle*, turn it back onto a lightly floured counter, dust your hands with flour once more, and repeat the folding of the dough you performed the first time around.
This is called the knock-down phase.
Note: You're going to let some of the air out of the dough but don't compress it completely squashing out all of the air. If you do, the texture will suffer.
*GO DOUGH! GO YOU!
Once you have repeated the folding of the dough, set it aside in the same conditions you left it for the first rise. This, my darlings is the beginning of the SECOND RISE!
This bread requires the use of your last egg for the egg wash. The shiny top of this bread makes it distinctive and adds to the texture of the crust. The egg wash is very easy to make.
Whisk the egg and the water together until totally combined into a mixture with a density that will allow it to be brushed on the bread.
Note: If your egg is rare large and you need to add a bit more water to it, that's okay, but watch the amount so it doesn't become too thin.
Once the bread has undergone the second rise, something that again, takes as long as it takes, it should double again.
How do you know it is ready?
1. It has doubled in size.
2. When you press your finger into the dough (just enough to indent it), if the indent pops out, the dough is not done. Put it back and give it more time.
Once the dough has successfully completed its second rise, knead it lightly and then shape it. You can begin to put it into the shape that you. most desire.
Traditionally, this is a flat bread, so making a ball and then pressing it flat is one way to do it. You can use an iron skillet or a large round cake tray.
If you're willing to bulk tradition and want a lighter, fluffier, less compact bread, then by all means, make it into a happy little ball, let the air stay.
Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash onto the bread, covering the top completely. Some of it will run down the sides and pool - it happens. Your goal here is to make sure that the bread is coated on the top and sides.
The oven should be preheated to 350 degrees F.
Bake the bread until the internal temperature reaches 180-190 degrees F. This can take anywhere from 35-55 minutes depending on conditions.
Check the temp no more than 30 minutes in. The more you open the oven to check the temp, the more the heat escapes.
Note: Your bread has raw egg in it so making sure the temp is on point will ensure a quality bread with no raw dough.
Once the bread has reached the internal temperature of 180-190 degrees F, you'll want to pull it out of the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes or so.
NOTE: Remember to let the bread to cool almost completely before shoving it into your mouth or else you will not taste anything at all, for a while.
My family and I like to slice it and put a pat of butter on top of it. Jam should not be necessary as this is a sweet bread to begin with but hey, you do you!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Beat the eggs until the yolks are mixed with the whites.
Note: Do not over beat the eggs. You will only wind up with sore arms and a funky texture.
Add the vanilla into the eggs, whisking to combine.
Note: Again, avoid egg abuse.
Set it into the fridge to be pulled out later. You do not want the mixture to drop in temperature for too long.
Note: Don't be sad, your eggs and vanilla will have their time to shine!
The first step is to scald the milk. This means pouring the milk into a sturdy pan and heating it until it reaches 170 degrees.
Note: Scalding the milk allows it to caramelize the sugars within the milk. It lends a unique flavor to this bread.
Note: Skalding the milk or scolding the milk are always options but I've discovered that poetry or chastisement produce the same results.
Once the milk is at 170 degrees, add the butter.
Note: The butter will melt faster if you add it in smaller chunks rather than whole big pieces.
Use a whisk to combine and insure that the butter has moved from a solid to a liquid.
Once the butter has melted into the milk creating a mixture add the sugar.
Note: I pace the addition of the sugar by stirring and combining it a quarter of a cup at a time. I wait until the first quarter cup of sugar looks like it has dissolved before adding more.
All of the solids should be fully dissolved and the liquids combined to create a sweet, buttery concoction. At this point, pull the liquid off of the burner.
The. mixture MUST rest until it reaches between 120 110 degrees.
Note: This is vital. Yeast starts dying at temperatures of above 120 degrees. This means that if you do not observe the temperature requirements, disaster is sure to follow.
Note: Do not let the mixture cool beyond 100 degrees or else things will start to separate. Remember, we want everything warm and blended. So don't go shoving it into the fridge or something silly. It can cool on the counter like a boss.
Note: I know you're in this to give the yeast false hopes only to slaughter the little guys whole-sale later as the meme indicates. However, you cannot kill them too quickly. They've got work to do first.
While you're waiting for the milk mixture to cool, in a separate bowl combine the yeast, salt, and flour by adding the flour first and then, on one side of the bowl, the yeast and on the other side, the salt.
Note: DO NOT PUT THE YEAST DIRECTLY ONTO THE SALT OR THE SALT DIRECTLY ON TO THE YEAST, FOR THE LOVE OF BREAD! Seriously, the salt will kill your yeast before you've even got going. Don't do it.
Set aside the flour mixture until the milk mixture is good to go.
Once your milk mixture is within range, add the egg and vanilla mixture to the milk, whisking it all together so it is completely combined.
A half a cup at a time, add the flour mixture. Make sure the flour has a chance to dissolve before adding more. Once all of the flour is added, you should have a warm, soft pliable dough.
Note: If the dough seems too loose, add more flour a tablespoon at a time until the consistency of something you can knead is there. Do not add vast quantities because too much flour will ruin the texture. (Bread, ugh, am I right?)
Note: I use a Kitchen Aid mixer for this part but before I owned one, I did it by hand. My arms were BUFF! (Disclaimer: Not really, they were just tired.)
Sprinkle some flour onto your counter, just enough so that way the dough doesn't stick to it. Now, lift or dump the dough out of the bowl you used to mix everything together and put it in the middle of your lightly floured surface.
Note: Again, you aren't going to dump a ton of flour on your counter as the flour is strictly meant to keep the dough from cleaving to your counter for dear life.
Note: If you are going to lift the dough out of the bowl, dust your hands with flour like you're going to float like a butterfly or sting like a bee.
Once you are prepared to begin kneading, take the dough and fold it in half, then, turn it 90 degrees on the counter and do it again. Keep doing it until the dough has a nice, smooth, satiny texture and is formed into a ball.
How do you know you are done kneading?
You can perform the windowpane test by taking a small-sized ball of it and stretching it between your fingers gently. If you can stretch it until the light just comes through it, you are good to go. If it tears, you need to keep kneading.*
Note: You don't want to overwork the dough but you DO want to make sure that the gluten strands are built up and strong so the whole thing holds together well.
Note: Folding allows the stretching of the gluten. If you are too rough with it, the strands will break rather than build - don't be that person. Seriously, what did it ever do to you?
*The pun is ALWAYS intended.
Set the dough in an area that is warm and cover it with a cloth or use a proofing bucket to let it rise.
Note: If you live in a hot, dry climate consider getting a proofing oven.
Note: If you live in a warm, humid climate and it is summer outside, place that dough on your porch where it can get some sunshine but make sure that the container you have it in is air tight. If it isn't, that's how you get ants. No one wants ants.
The dough is now experiencing the first rise. Whee!
The first rise takes as long as it takes. I have given up attempting to predict how long it will take - there are entirely too many factors. However, you know that dough has completed its first rise by:
1. It has doubled in size.
2. When you stick a couple of fingers into the dough and then remove them, the finger holes remain, well, holes!
3. If the previous conditions are not met, it needs more time. If two hours have passed and the dough has not changed, something went wrong somewhere. It is time to do the super fun exercise of trying to figure out what you did wrong the first time around so you don't make the mistake again.
Note: You must try again. I'm sorry. I don't make the rules. You can't give up on this.
Once the dough has successfully jumped the first hurdle*, turn it back onto a lightly floured counter, dust your hands with flour once more, and repeat the folding of the dough you performed the first time around.
This is called the knock-down phase.
Note: You're going to let some of the air out of the dough but don't compress it completely squashing out all of the air. If you do, the texture will suffer.
*GO DOUGH! GO YOU!
Once you have repeated the folding of the dough, set it aside in the same conditions you left it for the first rise. This, my darlings is the beginning of the SECOND RISE!
This bread requires the use of your last egg for the egg wash. The shiny top of this bread makes it distinctive and adds to the texture of the crust. The egg wash is very easy to make.
Whisk the egg and the water together until totally combined into a mixture with a density that will allow it to be brushed on the bread.
Note: If your egg is rare large and you need to add a bit more water to it, that's okay, but watch the amount so it doesn't become too thin.
Once the bread has undergone the second rise, something that again, takes as long as it takes, it should double again.
How do you know it is ready?
1. It has doubled in size.
2. When you press your finger into the dough (just enough to indent it), if the indent pops out, the dough is not done. Put it back and give it more time.
Once the dough has successfully completed its second rise, knead it lightly and then shape it. You can begin to put it into the shape that you. most desire.
Traditionally, this is a flat bread, so making a ball and then pressing it flat is one way to do it. You can use an iron skillet or a large round cake tray.
If you're willing to bulk tradition and want a lighter, fluffier, less compact bread, then by all means, make it into a happy little ball, let the air stay.
Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash onto the bread, covering the top completely. Some of it will run down the sides and pool - it happens. Your goal here is to make sure that the bread is coated on the top and sides.
The oven should be preheated to 350 degrees F.
Bake the bread until the internal temperature reaches 180-190 degrees F. This can take anywhere from 35-55 minutes depending on conditions.
Check the temp no more than 30 minutes in. The more you open the oven to check the temp, the more the heat escapes.
Note: Your bread has raw egg in it so making sure the temp is on point will ensure a quality bread with no raw dough.
Once the bread has reached the internal temperature of 180-190 degrees F, you'll want to pull it out of the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes or so.
NOTE: Remember to let the bread to cool almost completely before shoving it into your mouth or else you will not taste anything at all, for a while.
My family and I like to slice it and put a pat of butter on top of it. Jam should not be necessary as this is a sweet bread to begin with but hey, you do you!
Enjoy!
This is a lovely loaf! The flavor reminds me of the yeast rolls my mom would make for Thanksgiving dinner. It is a big enough loaf that I took half to a friend and froze a quarter of it.