Flaky Pork Crackling Biscuits

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."

Course Snack

Cuisine Slovak

Keyword Pork cracklings, Slovak food

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

1 45

Total Time 2 20

Servings pieces

Calories 214kcal

Author Petra Kupská

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.

Nutrition