Daring Bakers October 2011 Challenge: Povitica

The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat!

Yes, I'm posting about my October challenge in mid-November. Life got busy, but I still wanted to try baking this sweet bread. Overall, this was quite easy to put together. Between making the dough, waiting for it to rise, and pulling the finished product out of the oven this takes about 2.5 - 3 hours. If you have all day, make it in the morning. Otherwise, I'd plan on making this the day before you plan on eating it. This bread is traditionally served during the holiday season.

Although we used a traditional walnut filling, you could try this with other fruit and cheese fillings.

Povitica with Walnut Filling
Makes 1 loaf


To activate the Yeast:
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons warm water
1½ teaspoons dry yeast


1. In a small bowl stir sugar, flour, and the yeast into warm water and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 5 minutes

Dough:
½ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour, measure first then sift, divided

2. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk up to just below boiling, stirring constantly so that a film does not form on the top of the milk. You want it hot enough to scald you, but not boiling. Allow to cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, mix the scalded milk, sugar, and the salt until combined. Add the beaten eggs, yeast mixture, melted butter, and flour. Blend thoroughly and slowly add remaining flour, mixing well until the dough starts to clean the bowl.

4. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead, gradually adding flour a little at a time, until smooth and does not stick.

5. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowls, cover loosely with a layer of plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel and let rise an hour and a half in a warm place, until doubled in size.

Quarter Batch Filling Ingredients (enough filling for one loaf)
1¾ cups walnuts
¼ cup whole milk
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 egg yolk, beaten
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

6. While your dough is rising, make the filling. In a large bowl mix together the ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and cocoa. Heat the milk and butter to boiling. Pour the liquid over the nut/sugar mixture. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Allow to stand at room temperature until ready to be spread on the dough.

Topping:

2 tablespoons cold STRONG coffee (optional - I didn't feel like brewing coffee and just used melted butter with sugar)

1½ teaspoons granulated sugar

Melted butter

To Roll and Assemble the Dough:
7. Sprinkle surface with a couple of tablespoons to a handful of flour (use flour sparingly). roll the dough out into a large rectangle with a rolling pin, until it is paper thin. Spoon a bit of melted butter into the dough to allow some additional stretch. Be sure to constantly lift the dough from the surface to keep it from sticking.

8. Spoon filling evenly over dough until covered. Gently roll the dough like a jelly roll. Brush with melted butter/sugar mixture.

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees and bake for another 35-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush again with melted butter.

10. Allow the bread to cool completed so that it holds its shape. Once it is cooled, slice and serve.