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    Home » Recipes » Slovak Recipes

    Flaky Pork Crackling Biscuits

    Published: Apr 18, 2023 · Modified: Jun 15, 2023 by Petra Kupská

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    Today I invite you to Slovakia, where they make delicious pork crackling biscuits! This incredibly flaky snack is called "Pagáč," and of course, we Czechs love to bake them too, especially people who live in the areas bordering Slovakia.

    Slovak pork crackling biscuits (pagáče) served on a plate.
    Table of Contents hide
    ➜ What are Pagáč biscuits
    ➜ Pronunciation
    ➜ Ingredients you need
    ➜ How to make pork crackling biscuits
    ➜ Video recipe
    ➜ How to serve
    ➜ What are pork cracklings?
    ➜ Useful tips
    Flaky Pork Crackling Biscuits

    ➜ What are Pagáč biscuits

    The name "pagáč" currently refers to a palm-sized round biscuit made of yeast dough. When prepared, the yeast dough is brushed with ground pork cracklings, then folded and rolled out several times. This method gives the pagáče an incredibly flaky texture, softness, and wonderful taste.

    The last time I baked pagáče was for a family gathering, where the snack was a huge success. These crackling biscuits are delicious on their own or paired with a glass of wine or cold beer.

    One pagac biscuit cut into two halves to see the flaky texture.

    The Slovak name for crackling biscuits recipe is "oškvarkove pagáče", while we Czechs call them "škvarkové pagáče". As you can see, both names are pretty similar!

    A quick note: While a pagáč is one piece, pagáče are two and more pieces (e.g., plural). 

    MY TIP: Check out more Slovak recipes!

    ➜ Pronunciation

    Thats on how we Czechs pronounce the words "škvarkové pagáče." I have recorded a short audio clip to give you an idea. I am a native speaker, so you hear Czech firsthand.

    ➜ Ingredients you need

    Slovak pork crackling biscuits (pagace) ingredients, inclusive captions.

    To make pork crackling biscuits from scratch, grab these items from your pantry:

    • Pork cracklings; we can buy them in every supermarket in the Czech Republic, and I believe you can do the same where you live. Consult the shopkeeper or your butcher!
    • All-purpose flour
    • Whole milk; lukewarm
    • Pinch of sugar; to activate the yeast starter
    • Eggs; one into the dough, another for egg wash. Both eggs ideally at room temperature.
    • Active dry yeast
    • Pork lard; or unsalted butter softened at room temperature
    • Salt
    • Caraway seeds; typical Czech spices!

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    Next, prepare a baking tray, baking paper, a pastry brush, and a 2.½-3 inch-sized round cookie cutter.

    ➜ How to make pork crackling biscuits

    STEP 1: In a bowl, combine the active dry yeast, sugar, and one tablespoon of flour. Pour in about half of the measured warm milk, whisking well to avoid lumps in the yeast mixture. Let stand for about 10-15 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface.

    Making yeast starter.

    STEP 2: Make a smooth, non-sticky dough with the activated yeast starter, flour, remaining lukewarm milk, egg, salt, and lard/or butter.

    I use my stand kitchen mixer with a kneading hook attached. I let the dough knead on medium speed for about 8-10 minutes.

    STEP 3: Meanwhile, grind the pork cracklings and mash them with a spoon to a paste.

    Grinding pork cracklings using a meat grinder.

    TIP: How to grind pork cracklings? It is best to process the cracklings in a meat grinder. An electric meat grinder saves a lot of time and effort. Immediately after use, disassemble and clean the grinder to prevent the cracklings from drying out inside.

    STEP 4: Immediately after kneading, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about ⅓ inch thick and brush with the ground crackling paste.

    Brushing ground cracklings over rolled-out dough.

    STEP 5: Roll it up like a strudel and fold it over three times.

    You can see how I did it in the picture below. I rolled the dough from both sides to the center and then folded it.

    Folding the dough brushed with pork cracklings.

    STEP 6: Wrap the folded dough in plastic wrap, transfer to a plate and put in the fridge for 30 minutes to rise.

    Folded yeast dough for crackling biscuits wrapped in a plastic wrap.

    STEP 7: After half an hour, take the dough out, dust it with a little flour, and roll it out gently. Don't roll it too thinly and don't put too much pressure on the rolling pin; otherwise, you will tear the dough and the filling of cracklings will come out. Fold the dough again, wrap it, and put it in the fridge for another 30 minutes.

    Folding the dough brushed with pork cracklings.

    STEP 8: Repeat the previous step again. In total, the dough will rise for 3x30 minutes.

    STEP 9: After the final rise, roll out the dough on a floured surface to about ¾ inch thick. Cut out circles, either with a cookie cutter or a thin-walled glass. The diameter of the cut-outs should be about 2 ½ to 3 inches.

    Cutting out circles of rolled-out yeast dough.

    STEP 10: Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for about 15 minutes.

    Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°F). Beat the eggs in a bowl to make the egg wash.

    Springkling the surface of crackling biscuits with caraway seeds.

    STEP 11: Brush the raised biscuits with egg wash and sprinkle the surface with caraway seeds. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.

    ➜ Video recipe

    Still not sure how to make pagáče biscuits? I made a video that you can find on my YouTube channel by clicking on the image below. If you like the video recipe, I will be glad to have you subscribe!

    ➜ How to serve

    These pagáče crackling biscuits taste wonderful, both hot and cold. Serve them as an appetizer with wine or beer. You can also fill the biscuits with a good bread spread!

    Any biscuits left? Cover them with plastic wrap and consume them within three days. You can extend their shelf life by putting the biscuits in the refrigerator.

    Baked pork cracklings biscuits on a baking sheet.

    ➜ What are pork cracklings?

    Pork cracklings are bits of rendered pig skins that have been fried to a golden brown and crispy texture, with tiny chewy pieces of meat. Cracklings are still popular in the Czech Republic and even in other Central European countries (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia) because it used to be common to keep pigs as a source of meat.

    Slovak pork crackling biscuits (pagáče) served on a plate.

    ➜ Useful tips

    • Don't be afraid to let the dough rise in the refrigerator. Covered with plastic wrap, it will rise easily. The dough also needs to rise three times for 30 minutes, see the recipe instructions, so it has enough time to get fermented.
    • Before brushing the biscuits with egg wash, sometimes a decorative grid is cut into the surface with a knife.

    ⇢ Try out Bobalki, Slovak Christmas dish!

    More tasty recipes:

    • Krajanec – Czech flatbread
    • Rohliky – white bread
    • Zelnicky – sauerkraut crackers

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest. Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me any question about Czech cuisine to my e-mail. I love hearing your feedback!

    Slovak pork crackling biscuits (pagáče) served on a plate.

    Flaky Pork Crackling Biscuits

    These are flaky and soft pork crackling biscuits originating from Slovakia. Their Slovak name is "Pagáče."
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 14 pieces
    Calories: 214kcal
    Author: Petra Kupská
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: Slovak
    Keyword: Pork cracklings, Slovak food

    Ingredients

    Yeast dough:

    • 7 ounces pork cracklings (200 g)
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour (390 g)
    • 1 and ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
    • 1 cup milk (240 ml) warm
    • 1 pinch sugar to help activate yeast
    • 2 Tablespoons pork lard (30 g) or unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 egg at room temperature
    • 1 and ½ teaspoons salt

    Topping:

    • 1 egg at room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons caraway seeds

    Instructions

    • In a bowl, combine the active dry yeast, sugar, and one tablespoon of flour. Pour in about half of the measured warm milk, whisking well to avoid lumps in the yeast mixture. Let stand for 10-15 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface.
    • Make a smooth, non-sticky dough with the activated yeast starter, flour, remaining lukewarm milk, egg, salt, and lard/or butter.
    • Grind the pork cracklings and mash them with a spoon to a paste.
    • Immediately after kneading, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about ⅓ inch thick and brush with the ground crackling paste.
    • Roll it up like a strudel, then fold it lengthwise three times.
    • Wrap the folded dough in plastic wrap, transfer to a plate and put in the fridge for 30 minutes to rise.
    • After half an hour, take the dough out, dust it with a little flour, and roll it out gently. Don't roll it too thinly and don't put too much pressure on the rolling pin; otherwise, you will tear the dough and the filling of cracklings will come out. Fold the dough again, wrap it, and put it in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
    • Repeat the previous step again. In total, the dough will rise for 3x30 minutes.
    • After the final rise, roll out the dough on a floured surface to about ¾ inch thick. Cut out circles, either with a cookie cutter or a thin-walled glass. The diameter of the cut-outs should be about 2 ½ to 3 inches.
    • Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for about 15 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°F). Beat the eggs in a bowl to make the egg wash.
    • Brush the raised biscuits with egg wash and sprinkle the surface with caraway seeds. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.

    Notes

    • Makes 12-16 biscuits, depending on their size.
    • SERVING: These pagáče crackling biscuits taste wonderful, both hot and cold. Serve them as an appetizer with wine or beer. You can also fill the biscuits with a good bread spread!
    • Any biscuits left? Cover them with plastic wrap and consume them within three days. You can extend their shelf life by putting the biscuits in the refrigerator.
    • How to grind pork cracklings? It is best to process the cracklings in a meat grinder. An electric meat grinder saves a lot of time and effort. Immediately after use, disassemble and clean the grinder to prevent the cracklings from drying out inside.

    DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

    Conversion chart

    Nutritional Estimate pro portion

    Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 526mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg
    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
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    Hi there, I’m Petra, a self-taught home cook and a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

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