# Povitica Bread



## nancya (Apr 30, 2001)

Eating a wonderful Croatian bread for breakfast this morning. Yum! Povitica bread is many layers of fruit and dough. Does anyone have a recipe?

Thanks in advance for anyone's help!


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

Sweet dough.
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup soft butter
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
7 1/2 to 8 cups flour
*********
for the filling
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
2 sticks margarine
1 1/2 pounds pecons (groung fine)
4 eggs
pinch salt
1 teaspoon cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon

combine warm milk,sugar,salt,butter and beaten eggs. dissolve yeast in the warm water and add the other ingredients. add 1/2 the flour,mix well untill smooth.add flour to handle easily. knead the dough on a lightly floured surface,put it in a lightly greased bowl, cover and put in a warm spot until doubled.punch down and let double again.divide dought into three parts. roll each part until very thin in a rectangular shape.spread filling,roll,place in a greased 9 " cake pan.cover and place in a warm spot to rise.
Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes

For the filling.
In a heavy pan over medium heat,combine sugar,milk and margarine and heat.add nuts then beaten eggs and mixed well.boil 1 minute stirring constantly.remove from the heat,add a pinch of salt,cocoa and cinnamon and mix well. let cool just till warm enough to spread.

Enjoy
cc


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## nancya (Apr 30, 2001)

Thanks, Brad...and Sharon thanks you too!

Sounds wonderful.


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## flash (Dec 7, 2001)

Sounds good Nancya, I'll have to try it. I found a recipe (looks very similar, if not identical) @

Finder Of Lost Recipes

looks like a nifty little site, pass the word...

flash


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

Flash,

Cool!! That is infact where I found the recipe.

Pretty cool site.
cc


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## nancya (Apr 30, 2001)

Very Cool Site!!!

You guys are so funny!

Thanks again - I'm off to the south today and back to the land of chain restaurants...


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## nippy sweetie (Dec 25, 2001)

is that all they have down there? Chains??? Some things don't change easily


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

*Povitica (Austrian Holiday Bread) *

Dough: 
1 cup milk, scalded 
1-1/2 cup sugar 
1/4 lb. butter, melted 
1-1/2 cup water 
2 pkg. yeast 
1/2 cup water (warm) 
3 eggs

Filling: 
2 lb. ground walnuts 
2 cup milk, scalded 
1/4 cup butter 
2-1/2 cup sugar 
4 tsp. cinnamon 
4 tsp. vanilla 
3 beaten eggs

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, then mix remaining ingredients as you would for bread with about 9 cups flour; knead well.Let rise 2 hours. 
Mix filling ingredients while milk is still warm. Spread or roll dough on table top, making sure you have no holes. Spread filling on top. Roll up, then coil as a snake. Let rise 2 hours in large greased roaster. 
Bake 2 hours at 350 degrees F.

_______________________

*Povitica *

From Janice Sachen, Evanston 
Makes 35 servings

Dough:
8 cups flour, divided
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup butter
2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
3 eggs, beaten

Filling:
2 pounds walnuts, finely ground
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups milk
1-1/4 cups butter, melted
3 eggs

Wash:
1 egg, beaten

1. Prepare dough: In a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 cups of flour, sugar and salt.

2. In a medium saucpan over low heat, combine milk, butter and 1/2-cup water until very warm (120-130 degrees). The butter does not need to melt. Add yeast to warm liquid and let stand for 15 minutes to proof.

3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add warm milk-mixture to the flour-mixture until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping dough from sides of bowl. Beat in eggs and 2 cups of flour. Continue beating for 2 minutes. Gradually blend in the remaining flour to make a soft dough (may need up to 1 cup more flour). If using a heavy-duty mixer, attach dough hook and mix for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If your machine does not have a dough hook attachment, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 to 15 minutes until smooth and elastic.

4. Shape dough into ball and place in a large, greased bowl. Let dough rise in a warm area until doubled, or cover bowl loosley with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator overnight until doubled in bulk.

5. If using the refrigerator method, let dough come to room temperature before proceeding. Punch down dough and turn out onto a large, lightly floured cloth (an old tablecloth works well). Shape dough into a rectangle and stretch dough from the center out to the edge until the dough is fairly transparent when you place your hand beneath it. When stretched, the rectangle should be approximately 3-by-4 feet. Trim off any thick edges.

6. Prepare filling: Place nuts in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, milk and melted butter. Mix well and let cool 5 minutes. In another bowl, beat eggs until lemon colored, about 2 minutes, and add to nut mixture. Mix well. The filling has the consistency of thick, but soft, frosting. If it is too thick, add a little more milk to reach desired consistency.

7. Spread filling on dough, covering the entire surface. Using the cloth, lift one end of the long side of the dough and roll the dough tightly to form a log, ending with the seam side down.

8. Cut roll crosswise to form two small rolls. Pinch ends to seal. Place each roll on a 9-by-12-inch greased baking pan, shaping into a large S-shape.

9. Prepare wash: Combine egg with 2 tablespoons water and mix well. Brush tops of loaves with wash. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or waxed paper and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk.

10. Place bread in a preheated 350-degree oven until medium brown and bread sounds hollow when thumped with fingers, 40 to 45 minutes. If bread seems to be browning too quickly, loosely cover top of bread with foil. Cool slightly in pan, remove to wire racks to cool completely.

From here.


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## nancya (Apr 30, 2001)

Thank you cchiu! I guess I'm going to have to try all three recipes and see which one I like the best.

Now, what will I do with all the Potviticia???


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## svadhisthana (May 6, 2001)

Nancy,
Have you made any of these recipes yet? I have some nuts in the freezer just waiting to be made into something wonderful and was thinking of preparing this for Easter. Wondering which one to try...........:chef:


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## kansa (Mar 8, 2013)

Hi gang,

This is the creator of one of the recipes.  I have been making this bread -- at least in the Croatian community it is a bread; some call it cake! --for over 50 years.  The recipe freezes extremely well.  I have frozen loaf-pan size it for up to four months.  When I bake 30+ loaves for Christmas, I always have one or two left over.

If you are planning this for Easter, here is another serving idea.  We always used it for sandwiches with baked ham, both thinly sliced.  The saltiness of the ham counters the sweetness of the bread -- a perfect match.

Any questions--feel free to ask.

Janice Sachen


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