Hungarian Scones from Cracklings (Tepertős pogácsa)
This crackling scones – in Hungarian: Tepertős pogácsa – are crumbly, round, salty pastry made from baked dough with the addition of cracklings. The simple scone is part of Hungarian, Turkish and Balkan cuisine, but its cracklings version was developed in Hungary. In 2013, this pastry was added to the list of traditional special products of the European Union, after the Princely Order of Hungarian Bakers in Komárom applied for its registration with the European Commission.
The history of the Hungarian scones from cracklings
One of the ingredients for the crackling variant of scone, lard, appeared in middle-class households in the 18th century and spread to a wider class of farmers around 1850. The frying of bacon, which incidentally is used to make cracklings, can therefore be dated to the mid-19th century, but its use in scone dough had to wait until the 20th century in some places. By this time, however, it had already become a widespread typical peasant dish, prepared mainly after the slaughter of a pig, but later throughout the year. It became an indispensable snack in the village pubs, but also appeared as a party snack in the cities.
But what are cracklings?
Cracklings are a by-product of the lard rendered during the processing of pork fat. Cracklings are fried pieces of diced bacon. Even after frying, the crackling still contains a lot of fat. In addition to the pork mentioned above, it can also be made from chicken, goose or duck fat.
In the homemade version, the fatty bacon is cut into even cubes and placed in a cauldron, poured with a little water and heated well over a slow fire, stirring occasionally. Do not pour too much water over it, but do not cook it too slowly either, as this will cook cracklings. When the fat starts to melt, increase the heat and fry it, stirring constantly, until it starts to light brown. At this point continue frying over a lower heat. They are then fried again on a stronger fire, adding a little milk and stirring constantly, until they are crispy red. When the right color is reached, it is removed from the heat and immediately drained.
Ingredients:
- 500 g all purpose flour
- 250 ml milk
- 25 g fresh or 7 g dried yeast
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 eggs
- 50 g lard
- 400 g ground crucklings
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Steps:
- Mix the lukewarm milk with the yeast and sugar. Leave to rise for 10 minutes.
- Mix the sifted flour with the salt and ground black pepper. Add the eggs, lard and activated milky yeast. Knead until you have a smooth, soft dough. Cover and leave to rise for an hour.
- Roll out the dough on a floured desk to a 5 mm (2″) thin rectangle. Spread the blended or minced cracklings evenly over it. Fold the dough perpendicularly several times in succession to create layers of crackling. Cover again and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
- Roll out the dough again, fold and leave to rest. Then repeat this method a second time.
- Roll out the dough to 2 cm thick and score the top with a knife, but don’t cut through. Using a medium biscuit cutter or a glass, cut out scones and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with egg wash and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for 25 minutes. Let cool and enjoy your crackling scones!
Watch our video about this recipe: