A blend of rendered pork fat and cracklings adds a smoky depth to flaky, yeast-risen rolls filled with a thick prune jam called lekvar. This recipe from Hungarian home cook Edit Szabo Gezane first appeared in our October 2013 issue with the article Rhapsody in Red.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. milk, heated to 115°, plus 3/4 cup
- 2 (1/4-oz.) packages active dry yeast
- 3 1⁄4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1⁄2 cups minced pork cracklings
- 8 tbsp. lard, melted, plus more for greasing
- 1 tbsp. light rum
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 yolk
- 1⁄2 cup prune lekvár or prune jam
- 1⁄4 cup boiling water
Instructions
Step 1
Combine 3 tbsp. milk and the yeast in a bowl; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and pepper. Add yeast mixture, remaining milk, and the cracklings, lard, rum, and beaten eggs; stir until dough comes together. Knead in bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Step 2
Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with lard; set aside. Stir prune lekvár and boiling water together in a bowl. On a heavily floured surface, roll dough into a 14" x 17" rectangle about ¼" thick. Spread evenly with lekvár mixture, leaving a ½" border; fold dough in half lengthwise. Cut dough into eighteen 2"-square rolls. Transfer to greased dish; cover loosely with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Step 3
Heat oven to 350°. Stir egg yolk and 1 tsp. water together in a bowl. Brush tops of rolls lightly with egg yolk mixture; bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Keep Reading
Continue to Next Story