Potica

I have to say before we start, that this is my very first walnut recipe!  Crazy, huh?!  I really dislike walnuts, but I really love this bread.  My maternal grandmother was Serbian and her parents came to the United States from what was then Yugoslavia (now Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia).  My paternal grandmother was also Slovenian.  I never knew my paternal grandmother, as she passed away before I was born, but I remember my maternal grandmother making this bread when I was a kid.  As I stirred together the walnut mixture, it smelled just like my memories!  It was wonderful.  This is the first time I have made this traditional Serbian/Slovenian bread, and it definitely won't be the last.  I hope that I can help to keep this traditional bread in my family.  A sweet yeast dough filled with a sweet walnut filling, rolled up and baked!  This is the recipe that my grandmother used.  Note: After 40 minutes of baking, my bread was not quite done in the center, so if you need to, cover the top of the bread with foil and continue to bake until done in the center.

Potica

Dough:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1 cup hot milk
2 pkg (2 1/4 teaspoons each) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 - 115F)
2 eggs
4 1/2 cups unsifted all purpose flour

Filling:
3 eggs
4 cups (1 pound) walnuts, ground or finely chopped (it should look like coarse wet sand)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Stir sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup butter into hot milk.  Cool to lukewarm. (A drop sprinkled on wrist will not feel hot.) Sprinkle yeast over warm water (check temperature with thermometer) in large bowl.  Stir to dissolve.  Stir in lukewarm milk mixture.

Add eggs and 2 1/2 cups flour; beat at high speed with electric mixer 2 minutes.  With wooden spoon, gradually beat in remaining 2 cups flour; knead with hand until the dough is stiff enough to leave side of bowl.  Place dough in lightly greased large bowl.

Turn the dough over to bring up greased side.  Cover with a towel.  let rise in warm place (85F), free from drafts, until double in bulk - about 1 hour.  Make filling: In medium bowl, beat eggs, slightly.  Add nuts, brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter, the cinnamon and vanilla.

Stir filling to blend well.  Shape dough: Punch down dough.  On lightly floured surface, turn out dough, cover with bowl, allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Roll out to a rectangle 30 inches long and 20 inches wide.  Spread with filling to 1 inch from edge.

Starting from the wide side, roll up tightly as for a jelly roll.  Seal by pinching edges to dough with fingers.  With palms of hands, roll back and forth so that roll is even all over.  On large greased cookie sheet, form roll into a large coil, seam side down.

Let rise in warm place (85F), covered with towel, free from drafts, until double in bulk - 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Brush with 2 tablespoons butter.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until golden.  Cool on wire rack.  Slice crosswise 1/4" thick.  Makes 4-pound loaf.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy