Povitica Bread Recipe

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil offers a dairy-free option with a similar texture.

ground walnuts

🥗Healthier: ground almonds

💰Cheaper: mixed nuts

Ground almonds provide a lower-cost nut alternative.

milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: water

Almond milk reduces calories and is suitable for lactose intolerance.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey adds natural sweetness with a unique flavor.

In a small bowl, stir ½ teaspoon 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!

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens