When a special occasion or holiday rolls around, Balkan families prepare a pogača, a savory yeasted bread made with milk, eggs, and lots of butter or margarine. A pogača also plays a key part in ceremonies such as weddings, christenings, and the birth of children.

A pogača is presented as a gift and used in ceremonial activities for major life events. There’s even a saying about this bread that goes “pogača se ne seče nego se lomi rukama” or translated to “a pogača should not be cut but rather broken up with the hands”. The family member who is responsible for preparing this special bread for any given event varies by region and the role they play in the family.

A pogača a work of art. There are many techniques for shaping the dough which make each one unique. One of the most popular techniques to make is the sunce pogača or the Sun Pogača which I’ll be sharing today. I’ve included photos below of the various steps in forming the dough which I think you’ll find useful.

This bread is a perfect alternative to rolls for a special occasion meal. It’s definitely a showstopper and would look very elegant as the centerpiece to a delicious meal. I really hope you give this special recipe a try.

Looking for more baked goods? Check out the bakery section!

Sunce Pogača/Balkan-Style Brioche

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCuisine: Balkan

Servings

servings

Prep time

hour

Cooking time

minutes

Balkan butter bread, the perfect compliment to any meal.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup (300 ml) milk, warm
1 tablespoon (9 g) dry yeast
2 teaspoons (8 g) granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup (300 ml) Kefir (or plain yogurt thinned out with 2-3 tablespoons of milk)
2 teaspoons (12 g) salt
3 large eggs + 2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil ( I use sunflower)
6-7 cups (720-840 g) all purpose flour
1/2 stick (60 g) unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature
Sesame seeds, optional

Directions

In a small bowl or mug, pour in your warm milk and add the yeast and sugar. Stir to combine and place in a warm spot to proof (grow and turn frothy and bubbly). This should take about 15-20 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, kefir, oil, and salt. Set aside until the yeast is ready.
Once the yeast has proofed, pour the yeast and milk into the mixing bowl and stir everything to combine.
Add in the flour, a little at a time until you have a soft, compact dough. Knead the dough gently until it is smooth and still slightly sticky. Brush a few drops of oil on top of the dough ball so it does not form a crust while rising. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until it’s double in size.

The amount of time it takes to rise will depend on how warm the room/space is. I put my dough in a turned-off oven to prevent any drafts.
After the dough has risen, take it out of the bowl and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Knead it once again to ensure the dough is smooth with a little bit of flour until it no longer sticks to your hands. Then, form a log with your dough and cut 11 equal pieces.
After you have 11 equal pieces of dough, work with one at a time while keeping the others covered with plastic wrap. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to form a circle slightly smaller than a dinner plate.
Take your room temperature butter/margarine and break off a small piece with your fingers. Rub the butter/margarine all over the top of the circle of dough. Set aside, take another ball of dough and repeat this step. Then take your 2nd piece of buttered dough and stack it onto the 1st one. Repeat the buttering and stacking step with 5 more balls of dough. Leave the 5th piece (top of piece of the stack) unbuttered. Set the stack of dough aside.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 with another 5 dough balls. You should end up with 2 stacks of dough made up of 5 circles each with the top piece not buttered, and 1 dough ball left.
Take whatever stack of dough is larger and gently roll it out a little more to ensure all the pieces are stuck together. Then transfer the dough to a round 12 inch (30 cm) greased baking pan. Next, cut slits in the dough as shown in the slideshow above. Lift each piece of dough up and back to open up the center.
Take your 2nd stack of dough, roll it out slightly just like you did the first one and place it in the center of the baking pan. This time, cut the dough the same way but making sure that your pieces will align to fit between those of the 1st piece of dough. See image in the slideshow.
Lastly, gently knead your last remaining dough ball and place it in the center of the baking pan.
Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for the final time, about 30 minutes. At this time, preheat your oven to 350F (180 C).
When the dough has visibly risen, remove the plastic wrap and brush the pogača with the egg yolks. Make sure to get in all of the crevices in the dough. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the pogača if using.
Transfer the pogača to the oven and bake for around 40 minutes or until the pogača is golden brown and baked all the way through. Ovens/baking time vary. You know your oven best.

If you notice the pogača is starting to brown too much too fast, cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil and continue baking for the full time.
When baked, remove from the oven and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Serve warm or room temperature. Store leftovers in a plastic bag or airtight container.