Belokranjska pogača (flatbread)
Nothing is more inviting and signature of Bela krajina than delicious white bread shared by locals. The "belokranjska pogača" is a true delicacy, a rounded bread scattered with ough salt and caraway. The bread is the locals' form of welcoming guests. The bread is not cut but shared with guests by offering them to take their own piece. The "belokranjska pogača" has an EU certificate as a dish with Traditional Speciality Guaranteed. If you decide to make "belokranjska pogača" yourself, we recommend the recipe on page 50.
RECIPE FOR "BELOKRANJSKA POGAČA"
Ingredients:
500 g of white wheat flour
approximately 300 ml of lukewarm water
2 teaspoons (15 g) of salt
20 g of fresh yeast or 7 g of dried yeast
half a teaspoon (6 g) of sugar
beaten egg to coat the "pogača"
1 pinch (2 g) of caraway seeds
1 pinch (7 g) of coarse sea salt
PREPARATION OF THE DOUGH FOR "BELOKRANJSKA POGAČA"
Rising agent:
Mix the yeast, three spoonfuls of white wheat flour, 50 ml of lukewarm water and the sugar until a viscous substance is formed and leave until it has more than doubled in volume.
Mixing the dough:
The mix is prepared using white wheat flour, lukewarm water and the rising agent. Knead for 8-10 minutes or until it is smooth and not too hard. The dough should not stick to the hands. The dough is left to rise until it has doubled in volume. The dough may also be mixed mechanically.
Shaping the dough for "Belokranjska pogača":
The risen dough is turned out onto a greased baking tray or other suitably coated surface and shaped by hand so that is 30 cm in diameter and between 1 cm and 2 cm thick, becoming thinner towards the edges. The dough must not touch the edges of the baking tray and must be lower at the edges than in the middle.
Coating, sprinkling and cutting the surface:
The dough s sliced through to the base of the baking tray from one side of the loaf to the other, using straight incisions approximately 4 cm apart. There should be seven incisions: one in the middle and three on either side. The dough is then coated with beaten egg, sprinkled with caraway and once again coated with egg. The prepared dough is then sprinkled on top with a pinch of coarse sea salt.
Baking:
"Belokranjska pogača" is baked until it is fully cooked. It is recommended that it be baked for 20 to 25 minutes at 2-220°C. Notwithstanding that recommendtion, the baking temperature and time may be adapted to the type of oven. "Belokranjska pogača" must be baked to alight brown colour. The crust must be uniform in colour and crispness and be without blisters. The middle must be uniformly porous, without water rings, lumps of salt or flour and must not be tacky to the touch. The caraway and salt must have been sprinkled evenly. There must be the typical caraway and salt smell and taste of "Belokranjska pogača".
Bon Appetit!
Recipe is taken from the confirmed specification for "BELOKRANJSKA POGAČA" with a label of "Traditional Speciality Guaranteed" (TSG). Lebel is issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of the Republic of Slovenia on 9th of December 2015 (324-25/01/12).
