Tepertős pogácsa

Ingredients

• 1⅛ lbWheat flourfor the dough, sifted; sources use plain, strudel, bread or wholemeal flour
• 9⅔ ozPork/goose cracklingsfinely ground, made into the filling; usually goose cracklings
• ¾ cupSour creamfor the dough
• 1 ozFresh yeastactivated in warm milk; one source uses instant yeast
• ½ cupMilklukewarm, to activate the yeast
• 4¼ ozbuttersoft, worked into the dough; one source uses margarine
• 2Eggfor the dough
• 1Egg yolkbeaten, for brushing; some sources brush with whole egg
• 1 tbspSaltfor dough and crackling filling
• Black pepperfor the crackling filling
• 1 tspsugarfor the yeast starter
• 8¾ ozPotatoesboiled and riced, worked into the dough (optional)
• 1 tspSmoked paprikato season the crackling filling (optional)
• 2¾ ozwalnutsground, added to the dough (optional)

Method

1. Stir the fresh yeast and the sugar into the lukewarm milk and leave it somewhere warm until the starter has visibly risen and foamed.
2. Grind the cracklings finely and mix them with salt, black pepper and, if you like, smoked paprika until you have a smooth, spreadable paste; keep it in the fridge until you need it.
3. Sift the flour with salt into a bowl, work in the soft butter and, if using, fold in the boiled and riced potatoes along with the ground walnuts.
4. Add the yeast starter, the eggs and the sour cream, then knead everything into a smooth, supple dough. Cover it and let it rest in a warm spot for 20 to 60 minutes.
5. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, spread the crackling paste evenly over it, then fold the dough in thirds lengthways and bring the sides in to the middle. Cover and rest it in the fridge for 25 to 50 minutes, then repeat the rolling and folding another two or three times, with a chilled rest between each turn.
6. For the final roll, take the dough to somewhere between a finger's thickness and 2 cm, then score the surface into diamonds with a sharp knife, cutting only into the top layer and not all the way through.
7. Cut out rounds with a floured cutter, gently press the scraps back together, roll them out again and cut more.
8. Set the tepertős pogácsa on a baking-paper-lined tray with space between them, let them prove briefly and brush the tops with the beaten egg yolk.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 to 390 °F for 20 to 30 minutes, until deep golden, and let them cool a little before serving.

Tips and variations

Boiled, riced potato in the dough keeps them moist for longer, ground walnuts add more flavour, and wholemeal flour works in place of white. If you're short on time, knead everything including the cracklings together at once, let the dough rise a single time and skip the folding altogether. Butter can be swapped for margarine and sour cream for quark, a few drops of vinegar in the dough is common too, and the crackling paste can be loosened with a little white wine until creamy. For a sweet version, cut squares instead of rounds, fill them with sour cherry jam, scatter with sesame seeds and bake at 220 °C fan. Tepertős pogácsa taste best warm, so let them cool only briefly before serving.