Slovenian Potica Recipes

POTICA - TRADITIONAL SLOVENIAN NUT ROLL

Steps:

• Stir the sugar, salt and ¼ cup butter into hot milk.Cool to lukewarm. (a drop on your wrist won't feel hot)
• Sprinkle the yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve.
• Stir in lukewarm milk mixture to the yeast mixture.
• Add 2 eggs and 2 ½ cups flour to the yeast mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the ingredients until smooth.
• Gradually add in the remaining 2 cups flour; knead by hand until the dough is stiff enough to leave the side of the bowl.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased large bowl. Turn dough over - greased side up - and cover with a towel.
• Let the dough rise in warm place (85F) free from drafts, until doubled in size - about an hour.
• In a medium bowl beat the eggs slightly. Add the walnuts, brown sugar, ⅓ cup of melted butter, cinnamon and vanilla.Stir until well blended and set aside until needed.
• When the dough has risen, punch it down and turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Cover the dough with a bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll the dough out to a 30×20" rectangle.
• Spread the walnut filling on top of the dough, leaving 1 inch of the edge uncovered around the entire dough.
• Starting from the wide side, begin rolling up the dough tightly (jellyroll style). Seal by pinching the edges of dough with your fingers.
• On a large greased cookie sheet or seasoned baking stone, form the roll into a large coil.
• Let the potica rise in a warm place (85F), covered with a towel, for one hour.
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Brush the potica with 2 Tablespoons of melted butter.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.
• Cool on wire rack before cutting.

SLOVENIAN POTICA

Steps:

• Put flour in abowl, sifted if you like, add salt.
• In a cup dissolve the yeast in water or milk and in another cup mix the eggs, sugar, rum, vanilla essence, lemon or orange peel.
• Healt milk, melt fat.
• Add hot milk to the flour, stir and add the mixture of eggs, sugar, rum and aromas.
• Stir again, add dissolved yeast and fat and stir into a medium thick dough.
• Knead until it is elastic inside and smooth on the outside. Make sure the dough does not stick to the bowl and that it is not too hard.
• Cover the dough with a PVC sheet and leave to rise. Dough should always rise at room temperature. With rising the quantity of the dough should double.
• Knead it once and roll it out and spread it with the filling.
• Filling: Melt honey in tepid milk, and then add one half of walnuts, sugar, eggs, aromas, spices and rum.
• Spread the filling on the rolled-out dough and sprinkle with the other half of walnuts. The temperature of the filling should be equal to that of the dough.
• Roll tightly, put in a mould, prick and leave to rise.
• Before baking, coat with a thin layer of milk and egg mixture - make sure the holes are not stopped.
• Bake 50 minutes at 190°C.

GRANDMA'S POTICA

Steps:

• 1. Scald milk Add sugar, salt and 1/4 C shortening Cool to lukewarm
• 2. Measure water (warm, not hot) into a large bowl Add yeast. Stir until dissolved Stir yeast into luke warm milk mixture
• 3. Put half the flour into a large bowl Add eggs Add milk/yeast mixture Beat until smooth
• 4. Stir in remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease top of dough.
• 5. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts until double in bulk, about one hour.
• 6. While dough is rising mix all ingredients for walnut filling.
• 7. When dough has doubled in bulk, punch down. Turn out onto lightly floured board. Divided in half
• 8. Roll each half out into an oblong (about 20" x 10") Spread each portion evenly with filling.
• 9. Roll up jelly roll fashion, starting at the long side. Cut roll into 3 equal pieces.
• 10. Place the 3 pieces with seam side down in eachof the greased 8" x 4" x 2" loaf pans.
• 11. Cover and let rise in a warm place until dough rounds slightly above the top of the pans, about one hour.
• 12. Bake at 350 degrees about 25 to 30 minutes.

POTICA

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 3 tablespoons of the flour in warm milk. Mix well, and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl cream the butter with the remaining sugar. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the yeast mixture, remaining milk, 4 cups of flour and the salt; mix well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Lightly grease one or two cookie sheets. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and roll Out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Spread each piece with melted butter, honey, raisins, walnuts and cinnamon. Roll each piece up like a jelly roll and pinch the ends. Place seam side down onto the prepared baking sheets. Let rise until double in volume. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown.