Potica BreadPronounced: Poe-teace-a
3 yeast cakes dissolved in ¼ c. warm water
¾ c. sugar
4 T. butter
1 T. lemon extract
4 eggs well beaten
1 t. salt
2 c. milk, scald and cool
6-7 c. flour, more if needed
Mix together and knead 10 minutes. Let raise 1 ½ hours. Place on large, floured table cloth and roll and then stretch until very thin (about 1/8 in.)
Filling
Melt enough butter to be spread over the surface of dough with pastry brush. Cover completely. Beat 2 eggs and spread over dough with pastry brush. Then sprinkle 1 ob of ground walnuts over eggs. Mix 1 c. sugar with 1 T. cinnamon. Sprinkle over entire dough. Roll up like a jelly roll and cut for 4 loaves. Pinch ends together to retain filling, place into 4 loaf pans (greased). Let rise until double in size.
Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour. Use your best judgment at all times.
**Traditionally potica is prepared for Christmas and Easter, as well as special festivities such as weddings. Large country households would prepare as many as twenty poticas, but even small urban families would have at least two, since it is offered to all visitors.Potica also plays a central ceremonial role in the celebration of Easter. Women take the potica, ham, bread and Easter eggs to church on Easter Saturday to be blessed. These are then displayed and served to the family with due solemnity for Easter breakfast. Read more about the tradition and making of Slovenian Potica by clicking here.
6 comments:
Thanks Sue! This brought back some sweet memories of my dad making potica and also getting a loaf in the mail from Grandma Angela. I carried on the tradition with my kids. We made a large batch one year that covered the kitchen table when rolled out. It made several loaves that we shared with friends. Yum!
I have made a lot of it also, my kids do like it. Haven't made any for a few years. It is a lot of work. Shirley's daughter Debby is carrying the tradition on and makes a mean Poticia. It has lots of memories for me also. Good ones of a loving Grandma.
Pat told me that Grandpa sometimes put raisins in the nut filling also.
So if you like raisin, try putting some in. -Sue
Oh how this brings back the memories. Yes, my sister Debby makes a great potica. I have made it before and we love it. I usually make it around Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Seeing this picture makes me want to make some right now.
I wondered how much granular yeast to use in place of yeast cakes. Here is the answer I found on a google search: The standard yeast cake (compressed yeast) weighs three-fifths of an ounce. To substitute granular yeast for a yeast cake, use one package of granular yeast (slightly less than one tablespoon) for each yeast cake weighing three-fifths of an ounce.
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