Povitica 2 Austrian Holiday Bread Recipes

POVITICA RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir 1/2 tsp sugar, and yeast into warm water. Set aside until foamy (about 5 minutes)
• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk to just below boiling (about 180°F), stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly, until it is about 110°F.
• Once cooled, whisk in the melted butter, 3 TBS sugar and salt to the milk until combined. Add egg, vanilla and yeast mixture and stir to combine.
• Add flour into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook.
• Pour wet ingredients into the flour and mix the dough with the dough hook until it forms a smooth, elastic ball of dough. (You can also mix and knead by hand).
• If necessary, add up to 2 TBS more flour until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball.
• Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a warm, damp tea towel and let the dough rise for 1.5 hours in a warm place, or until doubled in size.
• While the dough is rising, put the milk and butter into the container of a blender or food processor and blend/process until the mixture is warm.
• Add Walnuts, sugar, salt, and cinnamon and pulse a few times until the ingredients are combined and walnuts are crushed into smaller pieces.
• Add egg yolk and vanilla and pulse to combine.
• Allow mixture to stand at room temperature until dough is ready.
• Line a 9x5" loaf pan with parchment paper and grease with butter. Set aside.
• After the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place on a well-floured surface.
• Roll the dough into a rectangle about 18" x 7" in size. Be sure dough is thin but not so thin that you can see through it (about ¼" thick).
• Spread the filling evenly on the dough, leaving about 1/2" at the edges bare. (If your filling has become too thick to spread, add warm milk ½ TBS at a time until it just reaches spreading consistency).
• Staring at the edge of your rectangle, roll the dough tightly together making a jelly roll (see picture). Be sure to apply pressure and keep rolling tightly until it resembles a rope.
• Gently stretch out the "rope" and lift it into your prepared loaf pan, making an "S" shape as you put it in. (To do this, fold the dough into thirds in your pan (see pictures)).
• Cover the pan with a damp towel and let it sit in a warm place for at least 15 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
• After 15 minutes turn down the oven to 300 degrees F and bake for an additional 45 minutes (about 1 hour total), or until done (will sound hollow when hit with a wooden spoon). Check your bread after about 30 minutes and cover with aluminum foil if it is getting too brown.
• Remove bread from the oven. Cool for 20-30 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan.
• Cool completely before cutting and serving!

POVITICA 2 AUSTRIAN HOLIDAY BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, then mix remaining ingredients as you would for bread with about 9 cups flour (Do not add the flour all at once; 9 cups is approximate, as with all bread many things including temperature and humidity effect how much flour you need. Use enough to make a smooth pliable nonsticky dough); knead well.
• Let rise 2 hours.
• Mix filling ingredients together 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°F.

GRANDMA'S POVITISA (PO-VUH-TEET-ZUH) POVITICA CROATIAN NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Combine warm water and yeast together in a large bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Stir 3/4 cup lukewarm milk, white sugar, shortening, 1 egg, and salt into yeast mixture. Mix flour into yeast mixture until a soft, easy to handle dough forms.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and let stand for 10 minutes. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.
• Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, or until a hole remains when your finger is pressed deeply into the dough, about 2 hours.
• Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into ball and let dough rest for 15 minutes.
• Beat brown sugar, butter, and 1 egg together in a bowl until creamy. Add 1/4 cup milk, vanilla extract, and lemon extract; stir until smooth. Stir walnuts into the filling mixture until walnuts are completely incorporated.
• Roll dough on a large, floured cloth into a 20x30-inch rectangle. Spread walnut filling evenly over the top of the dough, spreading to the edges. Roll the rectangle up along the long edge like a jelly roll and pinch edges to seal. Coil the roll into a snail-shape.
• Grease a 9x13x2-inch baking sheet. Place shaped dough on the prepared sheet and let rise until an impression remains when the dough is gently pressed, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

POVITICA POLISH HOLIDAY BREAD

Steps:

• 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, 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” or 9” cake pans.
• Cover, put in warm place and let rise.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes.
• Makes three loaves.
• 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 minutes stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat, add pinch of salt, cocoa and cinnamon and mix well.
• Let cool till just warm enough to spread.