Where it comes from
Speķa pīrāgi are the iconic crescent-shaped Latvian bacon pastries, little yeast rolls stuffed with smoked bacon and onion. They are celebration finger food, baked by the basketful for Jāņi (Midsummer), Christmas and weddings.
On the plate
Bite into a speķa pīrāgi — golden-brown crispy crust, soft yeasted dough inside, salty smoky bacon and onion filling steaming. Bite: dough pillowy and bread-sweet, bacon-onion umami-savory hot, deep smoky-pork flavor. Hand-food perfect for celebrations. At a Jāņi midsummer bonfire with mead and singing, this is Latvian tradition.
How it works
Yeast leavening creates light dough. Bacon-onion mixture must be cool when filling. Egg wash creates the golden shine.
Variations
With added cheese in filling. With more onion. With herbs. With sweeter dough. With smoked sausage instead of bacon. Smaller mini version.
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 12
How it's made
10 steps · Show ↓60 min active · 120 min waiting
How it's made
10 steps · Show ↓- 170 min
Make dough: combine 500 g flour + 7 g instant yeast + 50 g sugar + 1 tsp salt + 250 ml warm milk + 50 g melted butter + 1 egg. Knead 8 min. Rise 60 min covered.
- 214 min
Make filling: dice 400 g smoked bacon (speķis). Cook in dry pan 8 min until crispy. Add 1 chopped onion; cook 5 min. Cool. Add 1 tsp black pepper.
- 35 min
Punch down dough; divide into 24 walnut-sized portions.
- 48 min
Roll each into a 10-cm oval; brush with egg wash.
- 514 min
Place 1 tsp filling at one end of oval; roll up, tucking ends to form a crescent.
- 632 min
Place on baking sheets; rise 30 min.
- 714 min
Preheat oven to 200°C.
- 82 min
Brush crescents with beaten egg.
- 917 min
Bake 15-18 min until deep golden brown.
- 105 min
Cool slightly; serve warm.
