Cheese and caraway pastries (sajtos pogacsa)

This Hungarian cheese pastry recipe makes a perfect Winter afternoon snack. The rolling and folding of the dough results in a wonderful flaky texture and they smell divine as they are cooking!

Cheese and caraway pastry Credit: Alan Benson

• makes

  30

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 600 g (4 cups) plain flour 
• 125 g cold butter, chopped 
• 125 g cold unsalted butter, chopped 
• 250 g farm cheese (see Note)
• 1 egg, beaten with 2 tsp water 
• 2 tbsp grated cheddar 
• 2 tsp caraway seeds

Drink Dreher Classic Pilsner, Hungary ($22 for a six-pack)

Chilling time: 2 hours

Standing time: 30 minutes

Instructions

Process flour and butters in a food processor to fine crumbs. Place in a bowl with the farm cheese and 1 tbsp water. Using your hands, combine to form a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 3 minutes or until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove from fridge and stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Roll out pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until 1cm thick. Place pastry on a surface with long edge facing you. Take the short right edge and fold two-thirds of the way to the left, then fold left short edge over to meet the right edge. Rotate 90 degrees and roll out again until 1cm thick. Repeat folding and rolling pastry once more.

Using a 4cm round pastry cutter, cut out 30 rounds and place on 2 lined oven trays. Brush with egg wash and scatter 15 rounds with cheddar and 15 with caraway seeds. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Serve hot.

Note

• Farm cheese, from selected greengrocers and delis, is a soft cow’s-milk cheese that’s similar to cottage cheese, but drier. The Brancourt brand is stocked at most Harris Farm stores.

As seen in Feast magazine, Issue 9, pg54.

Photography by Alan Benson.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.