For the last five years, I have been managing four holiday houses in our village Gradenc. I stumbled into it by accident and I really enjoy doing it. It started out with two houses and later two more houses were added, including my parents’ house. They are here for three months in the spring and autumn, but in the summer and winter they stay in the Netherlands and their house in Slovenia is empty. That is why they started renting it out during those periods.

Last year, I participated in a government project to encourage starting entrepreneurs to open their own businesses. It was a four-month process in which we were working full-time, learning everything that is involved in starting a business. We attended all kinds of workshops and seminars and learned everything about creating a business plan, customer loyalty, meeting techniques, public speaking, how to make a website and logo, and much more. My result of those four months of work is my own website www.myauthenticslovenia.com :).

On this site, people can book one of the four houses but also one of four complete holiday programs as well as individual activities. My intention is mainly to introduce interested parties to the authentic Slovenian village life in the province of Dolenjska. And that is why I also offer various activities and workshops that can be booked separately, such as the workshop »Pogača« baking. Learn exactly how to make it while enjoying some homemade lemonade and cookies :).

Belokranjska Pogača is a round flatbread from the Bela Krajina region, which is located around Črnomelj, near the Croatian border. Originally, it descends from a people from the Ottoman (Turkish) empire who were expelled between the 16th and 18th centuries and ended up in this region. Meanwhile, the Pogača has been registered in the EU as a »protected« authentic dish. Today, I had two »students« who came to take the workshop with me. It was a very pleasant morning and the result was an excellent and delicious Pogača :)!

Do you also want to make a Pogača? Then you can of course book a workshop, but for those who are unable to do so, here is the recipe and description :):

Mix 500 grams of white flour with 20 grams of crumbled fresh yeast, a teaspoonful of sugar, and two teaspoons of salt. Make sure that the salt does not come into contact with the yeast! Slowly add 3 deciliters of warm water and stir with a spatula until it becomes a thicker mass. Then continue kneading with your hands. If the dough remains too sticky, you can add a little more flour.

Then knead the dough into a ball and let it rise for 20 minutes on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180-200 degrees, depending on your oven.

Then make it a flat round by pushing out with your hands from the inside. It should have a diameter of about 30 cm and be slightly thicker in the middle than at the edges.

Then make 7 horizontal and 7 vertical grooves in it with a knife. Do this by cutting one groove in the middle, then three on the left side and three on the right side. Turn the dough half a turn and repeat. Be careful not to cut all the way to the bottom of the dough!

Then brush the dough with a beaten egg and top it with your desired ingredients. In the original recipe, you sprinkle the Pogača with coarse sea salt and cumin seeds, but you can of course also add sesame seeds or pieces of bacon.

Then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve the Pogača warm and tear it into pieces instead of cutting it with a knife :). Enjoy!