A striking, Croatian yeasted sweet bread spiraled with walnut-cinnamon filling.
Povitica is that dessert.
What Is Povitica?
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Povitica is a striking bread spiraled with a walnut and cinnamon filling.
The result is a sweet, fluffy loaf patterned with intricate swirls of the walnut spread.
Povitica is halfway between cinnamon swirl bread and cinnamon rolls.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Origins of Povitica
Povitica is a celebratory bread from Croatia.
Its typically served for Christmas or Easter, but its likely to show up for weddings and special occasions.
How Does Povitica Differ from Babka?
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Povitica may remind you ofbabka, another filled and twisted bread from Eastern Europe.
Babka most likely originates from Ukraine or Poland, and modern babkas tend to be richer than povitica.
you might be generous with the flour while rolling out the dough.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
The filling should be thick but spreadable, almost like natural chunky peanut butter.
Similar to making cinnamon rolls, roll the dough firmly and tightly into a snug rope.
Being firm helps prevent gaps in the spirals of the baked bread.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Gently place the rope of dough into the loaf pan, folding it into thirds.
it’s possible for you to adjust with more powdered sugar or water to your taste.
Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled povitica.
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Try not to boil the milk.
Let the mixture stand until lukewarm while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Scrape the dough out onto a clean surface and shape it into a ball.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Lightly grease the bowl with butter.
Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
While the dough rises, make the walnut filling.
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In a small saucepan over low heat warm the milk and the butter until the butter has melted.
Let the mixture stand until lukewarm while preparing the rest of the filling ingredients.
Place the walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
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Process until the walnuts are finely chopped and the mixture resembles coarse sand.
Pour in the milk and butter, jam, and vanilla extract.
The filling will have a texture similar to natural chunky peanut butter.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Cover and let sit until ready to use.
Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan generously with butter.
Lightly flour a clean work surface and scrape the dough out onto it.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour.
you could also use your hands to gently stretch the dough to maintain a rectangular shape.
Wrap the dough into a snug spiral, starting with the long end closest to you.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Use even pressure to form a tight cylinder.
Gently stretch the dough if needed to achieve even thickness.
It should be about 24 inches long.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Place the loaf in the center of the prepared pan.
Its okay if the dough doesnt completely fill the pan at this stage.
As the dough rises, it will expand to fill the loaf pan.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Cover the pan with a piece of plastic wrap or a damp tea towel.
Let the dough rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
The dough should be puffy and will have risen to roughly 1/2-inch below the rim of the pan.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
Use a pastry brush to apply the egg wash over the top of the dough.
Place the povitica in the oven.
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A toothpick inserted into the loaf should come out without any doughy bits sticking to it.
Or you might check with an instant thermometer, which should read 190F.
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you could freeze povitica for up to 1 month.
Once cooled, wrap the loaf in a couple of layers of plastic wrap, then in foil.
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Defrost the loaf at room temperature, still wrapped.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
