July 2, 2023 – One of the most important aspects of every culture is what and how people eat. There are a few ways to explore a local cuisine. In Croatia, there is so much variety that we could go region by region, or even county by county and never get bored or feel like we’re running out of ideas. We could do it meal by meal, according to food groups, or dietary needs and habits. Or we could look at what connects it all and try our Croatian savoury rolls, also known as slane kiflice.
Today, we explore one of the absolute Croatian staples, a favourite guest of events, parties, households, shops, bakeries, and more. These Croatian savoury rolls are the best friend of just about anything. They are among the earliest memories and the one constant in everyone’s life.
There are almost as many recipes as there are grandmothers in Croatia. And in every family there’s always that one grandmother or aunt who makes the best ones. You can never get yours to taste the same, but you’ll never stop trying. My own aunt’s recipe might just be what works for you.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg white flour
- 600 ml milk
- 3 eggs
- 120 ml sunflower oil
- 40g (one block) fresh yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tsp salt
- sesame/chia/cumin seeds
How To Transform Basic Ingredients into Perfect Croatian Savoury Rolls
Start by warming up the milk until it’s just about lukewarm.
Use about 100-200 ml of warm milk together with a teaspoon of sugar and 3-4 teaspoons of flour to develop the fresh yeast.
Once the yeast has developed (it will rise to about three times its volume), knead a soft dough using the flour, 2 eggs, 120 ml of oil, the rest of the milk and 3 teaspoons of salt.
Using your hand, oil the sides of the big ball of dough and leave covered in a warm environment. Depending on how warm it is, it will take anywhere between 45 minutes to 1.5 hour for it to rise (about three times its volume).
Divide the dough into 6 balls and knead each once again.
Roll each ball out to about 1 cm thick and divide into 8 triangles.
Roll each of the triangles from the outside in, forming your perfect little roll.
Place on parchment paper and let rise once again (30 minutes should do it).
Before baking, brush with egg wash and sprinkle your favourite toppings, such as sesame, chia or cumin seeds.
*You can make them stuffed with cold cuts or cheese, but they’re often served with those on the side anyway.
Bake on 180 °C for about 20 minutes or until golden.
Serve hot, warm, or cold, no one cares as long as they’re there.
