Potica (pohtee'sa) Nut or Poppy Seed Roll Bread
From Sister Cecelia
Sweet Dough
1 cup sour cream ( or ¾ cup milk)
¼ cup milk
¾ cup sugar or honey
1 tsp. salt
2 envelopes active dry yeast (2 Tbs.)
1 tsp sugar
½ cup very warm water
6 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 egg yolks
½ cup (1 stick) very soft butter or margarine
Nut Filling
1lb. finely ground pecans or walnuts
4 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon rind (optional)
Poppy Seed Filling
1 lb. ground poppy seed
1/2 cup honey and 1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup milk
Combine sour cream, milk, ¾ cup sugar and salt in a medium size saucepan. Heat slowly stirring constantly until mixture begins to bubble and sugar dissolves. Pour into a large bowl to cool.
Dissolve yeast and 1 tsp sugar in very warm water-not hot-should feel comfortably warm when dropped on wrist. Stir until well-blended and allow to stand 10 minutes, or until mixture begins to bubble.
Stir yeast into cooled sour cream mixture. Beat in 3 cups of flour until very smooth. Cover bowl with a clean cloth. Let rise in warm place 45 minutes. Beat mixture down.
Beat egg yolks until well-blended in a medium bowl. Beat in very soft butter or margarine until smooth.
Beat egg-butter mixture and enough of remaining flour into yeast mixture to make a soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured pastry board and knead 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
Place dough in a large greased bowl. Turn over to bring greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place about 1 hr. or until double in bulk. Punch dough down and knead a few times. Let rest 5 minutes.
Divide dough in half. Roll out to a 26” x 10” rectangle on a lightly floured board or surface. Spread half the filling over dough. Roll up jelly-roll fashion, starting with the long end.
Place seam side down on a well-greased cookie/cake pan. Fold ends under to try to seal so filling won’t ooze out.
Repeat with remaining dough and filling and place near other loaf but leave enough room between for expanding. Cover and let rise in a warm place 45 minutes or until almost double in bulk.
Bake in moderate oven (350) 40 minutes or until cakes are golden. Leave on pan for 15 minutes and then place on wire rack to cool.
Wrap up air tight. Keeps well until ready to serve. To serve; may brush loaves with honey and garnish with nut halves or red cherries or leave plain. Slice at an angle.
Sweet Dough
1 cup sour cream ( or ¾ cup milk)
¼ cup milk
¾ cup sugar or honey
1 tsp. salt
2 envelopes active dry yeast (2 Tbs.)
1 tsp sugar
½ cup very warm water
6 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 egg yolks
½ cup (1 stick) very soft butter or margarine
Nut Filling
1lb. finely ground pecans or walnuts
4 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon rind (optional)
Poppy Seed Filling
1 lb. ground poppy seed
1/2 cup honey and 1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup milk
Combine sour cream, milk, ¾ cup sugar and salt in a medium size saucepan. Heat slowly stirring constantly until mixture begins to bubble and sugar dissolves. Pour into a large bowl to cool.
Dissolve yeast and 1 tsp sugar in very warm water-not hot-should feel comfortably warm when dropped on wrist. Stir until well-blended and allow to stand 10 minutes, or until mixture begins to bubble.
Stir yeast into cooled sour cream mixture. Beat in 3 cups of flour until very smooth. Cover bowl with a clean cloth. Let rise in warm place 45 minutes. Beat mixture down.
Beat egg yolks until well-blended in a medium bowl. Beat in very soft butter or margarine until smooth.
Beat egg-butter mixture and enough of remaining flour into yeast mixture to make a soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured pastry board and knead 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
Place dough in a large greased bowl. Turn over to bring greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place about 1 hr. or until double in bulk. Punch dough down and knead a few times. Let rest 5 minutes.
Divide dough in half. Roll out to a 26” x 10” rectangle on a lightly floured board or surface. Spread half the filling over dough. Roll up jelly-roll fashion, starting with the long end.
Place seam side down on a well-greased cookie/cake pan. Fold ends under to try to seal so filling won’t ooze out.
Repeat with remaining dough and filling and place near other loaf but leave enough room between for expanding. Cover and let rise in a warm place 45 minutes or until almost double in bulk.
Bake in moderate oven (350) 40 minutes or until cakes are golden. Leave on pan for 15 minutes and then place on wire rack to cool.
Wrap up air tight. Keeps well until ready to serve. To serve; may brush loaves with honey and garnish with nut halves or red cherries or leave plain. Slice at an angle.
