Traditional Bulgarian Round Loaf (Pogacha)
The bread or rather the round loaf is one of the quintessential symbols of the Bulgarian spread. The traditional Bulgarian round loaf is the corner stone of our culinary tradition and throughout the centuries it has been used in various rituals and customs. It is a symbol of the Bulgarian hearth and hospitality. For the various holiday celebrations each household prepares and decorates the loaf according to the specific celebration.
However the personal size round loaf (pitka) remains the most popular and common type of homemade bread at the Bulgarian table and it will be precisely this type of bread that you will find at the Pod Lipite restaurant, simple yet delightful pitka prepared with white or graham flour, served either plain or spiced with characteristic Bulgarian herbs. We offer homemade bread (pitka) – white pitka with garlic and samardala (Bulgarian spice mix with samardala herb and salt), plain white flour pitka or graham flour pitka.
At our farm in the village of Osoitsa we grow a rich diversity of cereals such as wheat, millet, barley, spelt, and many others. These are the crops we use when preparing our flour, out of which we then prepare our bread, a well-known Pod Lipite staple for over ten years.
Out tradition in putting on a Bulgarian spread with its signature courses and unbelievable baked creations, atop which stands the traditional Bulgarian pitka, is something the Pod Lipite guests are quite familiar with. The secret lies in the unbelievable recipes, which we have discovered and preserved through the years.
We kindly welcome you to visit us and enjoy them.
Let us now reveal a little secret on how to prepare our mouthwatering bread (pitka).
Recipe:
500 gr. white flour
100 ml. lukewarm water
100 ml. warm milk
100 ml. oil or butter
15 gr. yeast
1 egg
1 pinch of salt
2 pinches of sugar or 2 dollops of honey
A large handful of love
Place the flour in a large bowl and form a well in the middle. In a smaller bowl mix the warm milk, the lukewarm water, the sugar and the yeast with a tablespoon of flour. Store the mixture in a warm place and allow it to rise. Once it has risen pour the mixture into the well. Next add the oil and the beaten egg. Knead and form the dough. Let the dough come to a rise in a warm place.
Separate the dough into smaller round balls and let them rise further in a warm location.
Preheat the oven to 180-200 degrees Celsius and bake the fully risen balls of dough for 25-30 minutes. Allow the bread to rest for ten minutes before consumption.
Bon Appétit!
