Povotica Recipes

POVITICA RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir 1/2 tsp sugar, and yeast into warm water. Set aside until foamy (about 5 minutes)
• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk to just below boiling (about 180°F), stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly, until it is about 110°F.
• Once cooled, whisk in the melted butter, 3 TBS sugar and salt to the milk until combined. Add egg, vanilla and yeast mixture and stir to combine.
• Add flour into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook.
• Pour wet ingredients into the flour and mix the dough with the dough hook until it forms a smooth, elastic ball of dough. (You can also mix and knead by hand).
• If necessary, add up to 2 TBS more flour until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball.
• Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a warm, damp tea towel and let the dough rise for 1.5 hours in a warm place, or until doubled in size.
• While the dough is rising, put the milk and butter into the container of a blender or food processor and blend/process until the mixture is warm.
• Add Walnuts, sugar, salt, and cinnamon and pulse a few times until the ingredients are combined and walnuts are crushed into smaller pieces.
• Add egg yolk and vanilla and pulse to combine.
• Allow mixture to stand at room temperature until dough is ready.
• Line a 9x5" loaf pan with parchment paper and grease with butter. Set aside.
• After the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place on a well-floured surface.
• Roll the dough into a rectangle about 18" x 7" in size. Be sure dough is thin but not so thin that you can see through it (about ¼" thick).
• Spread the filling evenly on the dough, leaving about 1/2" at the edges bare. (If your filling has become too thick to spread, add warm milk ½ TBS at a time until it just reaches spreading consistency).
• Staring at the edge of your rectangle, roll the dough tightly together making a jelly roll (see picture). Be sure to apply pressure and keep rolling tightly until it resembles a rope.
• Gently stretch out the "rope" and lift it into your prepared loaf pan, making an "S" shape as you put it in. (To do this, fold the dough into thirds in your pan (see pictures)).
• Cover the pan with a damp towel and let it sit in a warm place for at least 15 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
• After 15 minutes turn down the oven to 300 degrees F and bake for an additional 45 minutes (about 1 hour total), or until done (will sound hollow when hit with a wooden spoon). Check your bread after about 30 minutes and cover with aluminum foil if it is getting too brown.
• Remove bread from the oven. Cool for 20-30 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan.
• Cool completely before cutting and serving!

GRANDMA'S POVITISA (PO-VUH-TEET-ZUH) POVITICA CROATIAN NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Combine warm water and yeast together in a large bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Stir 3/4 cup lukewarm milk, white sugar, shortening, 1 egg, and salt into yeast mixture. Mix flour into yeast mixture until a soft, easy to handle dough forms.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and let stand for 10 minutes. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.
• Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, or until a hole remains when your finger is pressed deeply into the dough, about 2 hours.
• Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into ball and let dough rest for 15 minutes.
• Beat brown sugar, butter, and 1 egg together in a bowl until creamy. Add 1/4 cup milk, vanilla extract, and lemon extract; stir until smooth. Stir walnuts into the filling mixture until walnuts are completely incorporated.
• Roll dough on a large, floured cloth into a 20x30-inch rectangle. Spread walnut filling evenly over the top of the dough, spreading to the edges. Roll the rectangle up along the long edge like a jelly roll and pinch edges to seal. Coil the roll into a snail-shape.
• Grease a 9x13x2-inch baking sheet. Place shaped dough on the prepared sheet and let rise until an impression remains when the dough is gently pressed, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

AMAZING TRADITIONAL CROATIAN POVITICA

Steps:

• Combine filling ingredients in a heavy saucepan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the mixture for about 30 minutes or until the mixture is fairly thick (remember this will be the filling inside the bread and it shouldn't be runny) Let cool.
• In a large heated bowl, combine yeast, warm water.
• and 1/2 tsp.
• sugar.
• Stir until yeast is dissolved.
• Set in a warm place for about 5 minutes, until foamy.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter and salt.
• Add boiling water, stir and cool until lukewarm.
• Add this mixture to yeast.
• Stir in beaten eggs and add flour gradually.
• Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 5 minutes.
• Do not over flour this it should be softer than regular bread dough.
• Place in a greased bowl, cover and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk.
• Put dough in center of a lightly floured work table and roll out as thin as possible with a rolling pin, maintaining a square or rectangle shape.
• The thinner you are able to roll the dough the better this will turn out.
• Spread the pulled dough evenly with the prepared.
• filling.
• Roll up the povitica as for a jelly roll.
• Cut roll in half and place each half into a greased bread pan two inches deep and form it into an"S" shape.
• Tuck in the ends and flatten it a little.
• Cover and let raise for 2-1/2 hours in a warm place.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350° for 50 minutes until nicely browned.
• Cool in pan for 30 minutes then remove from pan.
• and finish cooling on wire rack.
• alternate fillings could be your favorite fruit cooked down with sugar into almost a jam, cream cheese mixed with egg and powdered sugar or even your favorite pumpkin pie filling.

TRADITIONAL CROATIAN POVITICA

Steps:

• Combine filling ingredients except raisins in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the mixture is fairly thick (about 30 minutes). Set aside to cool.
• In a large heated bowl, combine yeast, warm water and 1/2 tsp sugar; stir until yeast is dissolved. Set in a warm place for about 5 minutes, until foamy.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter and salt. Add boiling water; stir and cool until lukewarm. Add this mixture to yeast.
• Stir in beaten eggs and add flour gradually.
• Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 5 minutes. This will be softer than bread dough. Place in a greased bowl; cover and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk.
• Method for rolling out dough: Cover a work table with a large cotton dish towel or a cloth large enough to cover the entire table. Sprinkle cloth lightly with flour all over the cloth. Put dough in center and roll out as thin as possible with a rolling pin, maintaining a square or rectangle shape.
• Spread the pulled dough evenly with the prepared filling.
• Sprinkle with raisins.
• Roll up the povitica as for a jelly roll, by lifting the cloth up on one side and letting the dough roll itself up.
• Place in a large greased baking pan, two inches deep and form it into an "S" shape. Tuck in the ends and flatten it a little. This may also be cut in half and baked in angel food cake pans or bread pans.
• Cover and let raise for 2-1/2 hours in a warm place.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 50 minutes until nicely browned.
• Cool in pan for 30 minutes then remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack.