Savory Potato Cake (Czech Bác)

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  • Prep Time

    20 mins

  • Cook Time

    20 mins

  • Total Time

    1 hr

  • Servings

    16 slices

  • Calories

    214 kcal

  • Course

    Side Dish

  • Cuisine

    Czech

Savory Potato Cake (Czech Bác)

Let's try "Bác," a Czech potato cake baked in a rectangular pan and served as a side dish with the main course. It has a wonderful aroma of garlic and ham, and each bite melts in your mouth. Traditional Czech cuisine has never tasted better!

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 2 cups milk warm but not hot
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar to make yeast starter
  • 2 teaspoons lard (or unsalted butter)
  • 5 medium potatoes such as Yukon golds
  • 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and pressed
  • ½ Tablespoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 7 ounces smoked ham
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Instructions

  1. Before you start: Peel 3 cloves garlic and press them.
  2. Make yeast starter: Mix about half a cup of lukewarm milk in a small bowl with ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons active dry yeast. Allow to rise in a warm place until foam forms on the surface. 
  3. Cut 7 ounces smoked ham into small cubes and fry it in 2 teaspoons lard in a frying pan over medium heat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
  4. Peel 5 medium potatoes and shred them finely. I use a hand box grater (not a food processor) for this. Then put the potato shreds in a sieve and squeeze the excess liquid over the sink.
  5. Put the shredded squeezed potatoes, 1 egg, 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, activated yeast starter, the rest of 2 cups milk (lukewarm), fried ham, mashed garlic, ½ Tablespoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper into a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, mix until combined. 
  6. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour.
  7. Grease the baking dish with fat (lard or butter). Pour the raised potato mixture into it and smooth the surface. 
  8. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and bake the potato cake for 30 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400 °F. For a delicately crispy crust, brush the cake surface with a tablespoon of melted lard or butter, and bake for another 5–10 minutes until the cake turns golden.

Notes

  • SERVING:
  •  
  • Makes about 16 slices.
  • SERVING: Old World Bohemians commonly served this savory cake warm and sliced as a tasty side dish to the main course, often accompanied by sauces. The more add-ins, like crackling, ham, garlic, or marjoram, the more likely it is to be enjoyed as a standalone dish.
  • In some villages around Domažlice, a small town in west Bohemia, people sprinkled the cake's surface with poppy seeds before baking it. If you like poppy seeds, give this method a try!

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 214kcal (11%) Carbohydrates 36g (12%) Protein 8g (16%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 0.01g Cholesterol 20mg (7%) Sodium 390mg (16%) Potassium 411mg (12%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 66IU (1%) Vitamin C 13mg (14%) Calcium 54mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 214 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 214kcal 11%
Carbohydrates 36g 12%
Protein 8g 16%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 0.01g 1%
Cholesterol 20mg 7%
Sodium 390mg 16%
Potassium 411mg 9%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 66IU 1%
Vitamin C 13mg 14%
Calcium 54mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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