Cheese pastries

Last weekend, I wanted to prepare something familiar without complicating things too much. I remembered the pogăcelele my aunt used to make, except she used cracklings. I didn’t have any, so I adapted the recipe with what I had in the fridge: cheese, fresh cheese, and a little sour cream. They turned out well, with a slightly moist texture and a pleasantly salty taste, without being heavy or too greasy.

Quick Info

Total time: about 2 hours 30 minutes
Preparation time: 30-40 minutes (including kneading and assembling)
Rising time: 1 hour + 15 minutes before baking
Baking time: depends on the tray, generally 20-25 minutes per batch
Servings: 40-45 pogăcelele (depending on size)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: snack/appetizer, suitable for parties or platters

Ingredients

1 kg flour
120 g goose fat
50 ml oil
3 eggs (plus 1 egg separately for brushing)
300 ml water
2 packets dry yeast
300 g cheese
140 g sour cream
200 g Făgăraș fresh cheese
1 teaspoon harissa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
A pinch of salt
For sprinkling: black or white sesame, cumin (optional)

Preparation method

1. Start with the starter. Put the dry yeast in a small bowl along with some of the warm water (about 50 ml), the teaspoon of sugar, and a teaspoon of flour. Mix and let it sit for 5 minutes to activate.

2. In a large bowl, put the flour, goose fat (at room temperature), oil, salt, harissa, cumin, and the 3 beaten eggs. Pour in the remaining warm water. When the starter has risen a bit, add it to the mixture.

3. Initially mix with a spoon until the dough begins to come together, then continue kneading by hand. Knead for about 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and springs back when pressed with a finger.

4. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place.

5. Meanwhile, grate the cheese using a coarse grater. Mix it with the sour cream and Făgăraș cheese until you have a homogeneous mixture.

6. Once the dough has risen, divide it into two equal parts. Sprinkle flour on the work surface. Take the first piece and roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1 cm.

7. Place half of the cheese and fresh cheese mixture over the rolled-out dough. Fold it in four (i.e., fold the edges towards the center like a letter). The dough will soften a bit due to the wet mixture. Sprinkle flour on top and knead gently until it returns to a firm texture, but do not add too much flour, just enough to prevent sticking.

8. Repeat this process 3-4 more times: roll out the dough again, fold it in four, sprinkle flour as needed, and knead briefly. This process helps with the layered texture.

9. After the fourth folding, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1 cm. Use a glass with an appropriate opening to cut out circles (pogăcelele). Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

10. Let the cut pogăcelele rise for another 15 minutes on the tray.

11. Beat the remaining egg and brush the pogăcelele with it. Sprinkle with black sesame (or white, ground cumin, or leave them plain).

12. Bake them in the oven at 180-200°C (preheated oven) for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown and baked through.

13. Repeat the process for the second half of the dough until everything is done.

Why I make this recipe often

They are perfect for any appetizer platter and, once made, they keep well for the next day. They save me when I have leftover cheese or cheese in the fridge.

Tips and variations

Tips
Don’t be alarmed if the dough becomes too soft after adding the cheese mixture. Gradually sprinkle flour and knead; don’t pour it all at once.
If you want a deeper color on the surface, brush with beaten egg twice.
Substitutions
Instead of Făgăraș fresh cheese, you can use another fatty cottage cheese. The sour cream can be replaced with creamy yogurt.
If you don’t have goose fat, pork fat will work, but it will slightly change the flavor.
Variations
If you don’t like harissa or don’t have it, you can skip it – it’s not a key ingredient; it just adds a slightly spicy note.
You can add chopped dill or green onion to the filling.
Serving ideas
You can serve them warm at breakfast or on an appetizer platter for a festive meal. They are also good as a road snack.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I freeze the pogăcelele?
Yes, they can be frozen after baking. Let them cool completely and then place them in bags or containers. When thawing, you can warm them up for a few minutes in the oven.

2. I don’t have goose fat, what can I substitute it with?
Pork fat or butter will work, but the texture and flavor will not be identical.

3. My dough isn’t rising, what should I do?
Check that the yeast is fresh and the water is warm, not hot. If it’s too cold or too hot, it may affect the rising.

4. Can I use fresh yeast?
Yes, but adjust the amount – for 1 kg of flour, you can use 50 g of fresh yeast. The procedure remains the same.

5. Can they be made smaller or larger?
Sure, just adjust the baking time. For smaller pogăcelele, watch them carefully to avoid burning, as they brown quickly.

Nutritional values

Approximately, for a medium serving (about 40 g/pogăcea): 130-150 kcal, 6 g fat (from fat, oil, cheese), 13 g carbohydrates, 5-6 g protein. These are approximate values and depend on the final size and composition.

Storage and reheating

They store well in a closed container at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, they may harden a bit. If you want to reheat them, place them in the oven for 5 minutes. For longer storage, they can be frozen and reheated as needed.

The recipe is practical if you have some time available and want something filling that doesn’t spoil quickly and doesn’t require hard-to-find ingredients.

 Ingredients: I used: 1 kg flour 120 g goose fat 50 ml oil 3 eggs + 1 egg for brushing 300 ml water 2 packets of dry yeast 300 g cheese 140 g sour cream 200 g Fagaras cheese 1 teaspoon harissa 1 teaspoon ground cumin a pinch of salt 1 teaspoon sugar

 Tags:  cheese pancakes cheese delaco