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Valašské frgály are a symbol of Moravia. Round pies with a generous layer of filling, fragrant leavened dough and a crunchy crumble were once baked for celebrations; today you can enjoy them anytime. The most popular are pear, poppy seed, curd, curd-and-strawberry, blueberry and apricot.
What makes the frgál special
A proper frgál has a diameter of about 30 cm, fluffy dough, a generous filling and a delicate buttery shine after baking. The secret to success is a good sourdough starter, sufficient proofing and quality ingredients.
Dough for a true Valašský frgál
ingredients
- 250 ml of lukewarm milk
- 1.5 cubes of yeast
- 1 tablespoon of sugar (for the starter)
- 110 g granulated sugar
- 200 g plain flour
- 500 g semi-coarse (all-purpose) flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of lemon zest
- 4 egg yolks
- 100 g butter
- 100 g Hera
- 1 tablespoon of lard
method
- Prepare the starter from lukewarm milk, yeast and a tablespoon of sugar, let it rise.
- Mix the flours, sugar, salt, lemon zest, egg yolks and fats. Add the starter and work into a smooth dough.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for approximately 60 minutes.
Most popular fillings
poppy seed filling
- 150 ml milk
- 50 g sugar
- 150 g ground poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoons of rum
Boil the milk with the sugar, stir in the poppy seeds, briefly simmer, season with rum and let cool.
curd filling
- 250 g soft curd
- 1 tub of full-fat curd
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 packets of vanilla sugar
- 2 teaspoons of lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon of rum
- 1/2 packet of vanilla pudding powder
- 60 g granulated sugar (add more to taste)
Mix everything until smooth. You can add raisins soaked overnight in rum.
pear filling
- 500 g dried pears
- 1 jar of plum jam (about 440 g)
- 5 tablespoons of rum
- 2 teaspoons of ground star anise
- sugar to taste
Cook the pears for 30 minutes, drain and purée. Stir in the jam, rum, star anise and sugar if needed.
Crumb topping and butter glaze
crumb topping
- 125 g butter or buttery Hera
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 150 g semi-coarse (all-purpose) flour (add a little more if it’s sticky)
butter glaze
- 125 g butter
- 1 packet of vanilla sugar
- 1 tablespoon of rum
Melt the butter, combine with the vanilla sugar and rum. Pour the glaze over cooled frgály.
Shaping and baking
- Divide the dough into 5–6 portions. Roll each out to a diameter of about 30 cm.
- Grease the baking sheet with oil. Brush the edges of the dough rounds with beaten egg.
- Let them proof on the sheet for about 15 minutes.
- Spread the chosen filling in the center, leaving about a 1 cm free edge.
- Sprinkle with the crumb topping.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C for about 15 minutes until golden (times depend on your oven).
- Let cool and pour over the warm butter glaze.
The quantities of dough and fillings given are enough for approximately 5 large frgály.
Tips for a perfect result
- give the dough time — proofing is key to a fluffy texture,
- lemon zest in the dough enhances the flavor,
- spread fillings evenly but leave the edges free,
- after baking let the frgály rest briefly, then pour the glaze.
