Povitica
By Jan D'Atri
The month of February is made for people we love, food we love and food we love to make for the people we love. If you want to impress someone special this month, this recipe has all the wow factor you’ll need!
In fact, I can absolutely make you a promise about this recipe. If you’re willing to set aside a little time to make this bread, you are not going to believe the intoxicating aroma coming from your oven! The wonderful sweet bread scent is everything you would expect from “grandma’s kitchen,” and then some.
This recipe for povitica (po-vee-TEET-sah) pegged the needle on the aroma chart like none other. This particular version is beautiful inside, tastes incredible and was an award-winner in the bread category at the Kansas State Fair to boot! (That alone is worth the effort. State fair winners are always some of the best recipes around!)
There are Croatian and Polish versions of povitica, also known as potica (po-TEET-sah). This delightful version comes from Roberta and Krystal Dent of Salina, Kansas. It took second place in the Fleischmann’s Yeast Best-Ever Bread Competition at the Kansas State Fair and is absolutely a recipe and a technique that should never be lost. For Valentine’s month, it’s absolutely lovely!
(Important Note: Below is Roberta and Krystal’s original recipe, which yields three loaves. But because this recipe requires a very large table to accommodate rolling out the bread into a thin sheet, I cut this recipe (both the dough and the filling) in half, ending up with one 2 1/2-foot x 18-inch sheet of bread dough. I used one 9 x 5 loaf pan. I also made it with one 3-inch deep 8-inch round pan. So if you want just one loaf, cut all ingredients in half.)
‘Best Ever’ Povitica
For the Sweet Dough:
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup soft butter
• 2 packages Fleischmann’s
Active Dry Yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 7 1/2 to 8 cups flour
For The Filling:
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 heaping cup sugar
• 2 sticks margarine
• 1 1/2 pounds pecans, ground fine
• 4 eggs
• Pinch salt (approx. 1/8 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened
cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sweet Dough Preparation:
Combine warm milk, sugar, salt, softened butter and beaten eggs. Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to other ingredients. Add half of flour, and mix well until smooth. Add flour to handle easily. Knead dough on lightly floured board. Put dough in greased bowl, cover and place in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size. Punch down and let double again. Divide dough in three parts. Roll each part until very thin in rectangular shape. Spread filling, roll and twist in circular shape like a snail or cinnamon roll. Place in greased 8-inch or 9-inch loaf pans. Cover, put in warm place and let rise. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.
Filling preparation:
In heavy pan over medium heat, combine sugar, milk and margarine and heat. Add nuts, then beaten eggs and mix well. Boil one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add pinch of salt, cocoa and cinnamon and mix well. Let cool until just warm enough to spread.
Yield: 3 loaves.
