Pogacha: Traditional Balkan Bread
Pogacha, traditional Balkan bread, is one of the most well known delicacies coming from the region. This,
just-the-right-amount-of-tough, milk and yogurt, no-rise bread can be
on your plate before you can watch a movie from start to finish.
I don’t need to say much about pogacha.
If you know it, you know it.
If you don’t, you’ll love it after the first bite.
Pogacha is the traditional Balkan bread that you’ll run into at every Balkan gathering, especially during holidays. This milk and yogurt based bread is more tough yet more bread-like than the homemade bread itself.
Instead of yeast, baking powder+baking soda are used as leavening agents. This results in a bread that isn’t meant to rise as high as the regular bread, however it does achieve some height in the oven during baking.
There doesn’t exist a person that’s tried it and didn’t love it.
I don’t need to say much about pogacha.
If you know it, you know it.
If you don’t, you’ll love it after the first bite.
Pogacha is the traditional Balkan bread that you’ll run into at every Balkan gathering, especially during holidays. This milk and yogurt based bread is more tough yet more bread-like than the homemade bread itself.
Instead of yeast, baking powder+baking soda are used as leavening agents. This results in a bread that isn’t meant to rise as high as the regular bread, however it does achieve some height in the oven during baking.
There doesn’t exist a person that’s tried it and didn’t love it.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces white flour
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 7 ounces Greek yogurt (mix ahead until smooth and runny)
- 3.5 ounces milk
- Oil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 495°F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir or shake.
- Add egg, milk and yogurt. Work the ingredients first with a wooden spatula as long as you can. Take over with your hand and work continuously until you get one smooth ball (about 7-8 minutes).
- Transfer the ball into a (9-inch in diameter) oiled round (or square) pan, and flatten evenly with your fist as you lightly punch the dough in on all sides. Take a fork and stab the bread with it several times.
- Transfer to the oven and lower the temperature to 400°F. Bake 35 to 40 minutes turning halfway. If it starts to blush too much, cover with foil.
- Take the bread out, wrap in a clean kitchen towel and leave to cool for 35-40 minutes.
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