There are hundreds of pogácsa recipes, but the common feature of Hungarian scones is that they all have egg, yeast and a considerable amount of fat (butter or lard) in their dough. Pogácsa can be flavoured in many ways, cheese, cottage cheese and crackling scones are the most popular types. Sausage scones are baked less frequently, but they can also bring color in grey weekdays.
The source of the following recipe was originally published on Telex (one of the biggest Hungarian news websites). In that article there is a basic recipe for pogácsa, which inspired me to make these sausage scones. I only made a few modifications and the attempt resulted in fluffy scones that remained soft for 3-4 days (stored in an airtight container).
Ingredients:
- 500 g (~1 lb + 1 2/3 oz) potatoes
- 800 g (~6 1/2 cups) flour
- 3 tsp salt
- 250 g (~1 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) butter
- 5 egg yolks
- 50 g (~1 3/4 oz) fresh yeast (~5 tsp dry yeast)
- 250 g (~8 3/4 oz) sour cream
- 250 g (~1/2 lb + 3/4 oz) smoked sausage, chopped
- 1 egg for the egg wash
- sesame seeds
Boil the potatoes with their skin on, then peel and mash them. Set aside and let it cool completely.
In a bowl combine salt and flour, then rub the butter into the flour. Add potatoes, egg yolks, yeast (it doesn’t have to be proofed), sour cream and chopped sausage, and knead until smooth and pliable. Cover the dough and let it rest for at least 1 hour in the fridge (you can also chill it overnight).
On a floured surface roll out the dough 2 cm / 3/4″ thick. With a 5 cm / 2″ cutter cut out the scones, place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush their top with beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seeds over them. Let the scones rest for 15-20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220°C / 428°F. Bake the scones for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
