Bruni

Nov 24, 20204 min

Rogaliki

Updated: Jan 25, 2022

Crisp skin on the outside, soft and buttery middle filled with delicious, warm confiture. Lovely combination of short and yeasted dough. Today we are sharing a recipe for traditional Polish rogaliki. This recipe was gifted to us by nuns from one of Torun’s convents. It’s been perfected by Sister Lucja who is a fantastic baker and she kindly agreed to share it.
 

This recipe, even though it includes yeast, is very much hands off. It does not require any kneading. Less is more here. The dough comes together quickly, is easy to roll out and shape. This is not a cookie style rugelach - like, for example, these cream cheese rugelachs. Butter, lard and sour cream contribute to lovely crisp skin and buttery flavour. Yeast adds lightness but also produces soft and airy middle. Mix of all these ingredients produces traditional Polish rogalik with buttery skin and light middle. Sprinkle of coarse sugar adds lovely crunch to buttery, golden skin.


 

We add lard to a handful of recipes only. This is one of those traditional recipes where it really does make a difference. If you can’t find lard or you don't want to use it - there are suggestions on how to replace it (if you really have to!).


 For a good bake:

  • Yeast - proof yeast before baking (all included in the recipe). Don’t use rapid rise yeast (large granules). As a matter of preference, we always use yeast cake for these but active dried yeast will work just fine.

  • Lard - we are using pig’s lard in this recipe. If you can’t find it or don’t want to use it - replace with butter or shortening but addition of lard contributes to great texture.

  • Use ingredients at room temperature.

  • Proof the dough at warm temperature - 26-28C would be ideal. You may opt to preheat the oven for 30 seconds and place covered dough in warm-ish oven. Shaped rogaliki can be proofed at room temperature.

  • Filling - use filling of your choice. Traditionally, thick confiture or povidl are used (rose petal confiture or plum povidl). Chocolate filling or hazelnut spread work great too!

  • Shaping - these rogaliki are best when the dough is rolled out thin (0.2-0.3cm). The dough is easy to work with so there should be no issue with achieving the desired shape. When rolling - close the filling as if you were forming a little dumpling then roll both corners, place two fingers on each side and roll into rogalik shape (rather than rolling from the middle using palm of your hand, roll the corners using your fingers - you will get nicer shape).


 

Rogaliki recipe

Yield: 9-10 rogaliki

Time: 2hrs (mainly proof time) + 20 min baking

Tin: large baking tray

Ingredients:

For yeast proofing:

  • 15ml water (38-40C)

  • 1 tsp (3g) active dried yeast or 10g active bulk yeast (yeast cake)

  • 1 tsp (5g) sugar

  • 1/2 tsp (3g) all-purpose (plain) flour
     

For the dough (all at room temperature):

  • 80g unsalted butter

  • 30g lard

  • 15g icing (confectioners’) sugar

  • 1 egg yolk (20g)

  • 85g sour cream

  • 240g all-purpose (plain) flour

Filling:

  • Confiture/jam/povidl/chocolate filling
     

Egg wash:

  • 1 egg white (leftover)

  • 3 Tbsps coarse sugar
     

Method:

  1. Proof the yeast: Warm up water to 38-40C, mix in the yeast, sugar and flour. Move to warm place (26-28C), cover and let rest for 15-20 minutes. After that time the mixture should look bubbly and frothy. If it does not - start again. The water might have been too hot/cold or yeast was too old (check BBE on package, or package might have been opened for too long).

  2. Prepare the dough: Place butter, lard and icing sugar in your main mixing bowl and using handheld mixer or stand mixer (paddle attachment) beat until fluffy and pale (about 3 minutes). Add egg yolk and mix until combined, then add sour cream and mix briefly. The mixture may look slightly split - that’s ok, don’t mix excessively. Add all flour at once and proofed yeast and mix (paddle attachment, handheld mixer, or by hand) until combined - about 1 minute. The dough should be cohesive and well formed. There is no need to knead (less is more with this dough).

  3. Proof (1st): Cover the dough and move to a warm place (26-28C, you may opt to preheat oven for 30 seconds and place in warm-ish oven) for 1hr and 30 minutes.

  4. Shape: When ready, lightly dust work surface with flour and roll out the dough into a large circle, roll out as thin as you can - about 0.2cm thin. The dough will be easy to work with, roll out and shape. Divide into 9 or 10 triangles, place the filling in the middle and shape into rugelach. Line large baking tray with parchment paper. Brush rogaliki with egg white, sprinkle with coarse sugar and place on the tray (9 per large tray).

  5. Proof (2nd) shaped rogaliki (uncovered) for 25 minutes (at room temperature). In a meantime preheat the oven to 190C (170C fan forced).

  6. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden. When done, remove from the oven and let cool on the tray for 15-20 minutes before serving.


 


 


 

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