Hi Harmony, it's Page, your Lifestyle Director!
I want to share a very special holiday recipe that has been passed down for generations within my family. My great grandparents immigrated to the United States from Pre WWII Austria, and this recipe is the only connection I have to my traditional Slavic culture. This potica (pronounced po-teet-za) recipe was passed down to me by storytelling, so as I've grown into adulthood, I've had to learn the actual measurements to share with others instead of measuring with my heart like I was taught. If you choose to make this recipe, I hope you enjoy it. If you don't want to make the recipe but are interested in trying it shoot me an e-mail. I make loaves and loaves of this stuff during the Holiday season and I'll surely be bringing some to The Welcome Center throughout the rest of the year.
Dough Ingredients:
7 Cups Flour
2 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup Butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. Salt
1/3 Cup Sugar plus 3 TBSP
4 Eggs
2 Packages of yeast and 1 cup sugar
Directions:
Scald milk, sugar, salt, and butter - Set aside to cool. Dissolve yeast a 1 tbsp sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and allow the yeast to activate and rise then add to milk mixture. Add very fluffy beaten eggs to combine, then add the flour by mixing in 1-2 cups at a time and combining thoroughly before adding more. Continue adding flour until the dough can be handled without sticking, once the dough is fully combined, knead on a floured surface for 20 minutes, at this point the dough should be smooth and glossy. Place dough into a large greased bowl, lightly grease the top of the dough, cover with a cloth, and store in a warm place for two hours or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
Filing Ingredients
3/4 Cup Melted Butter
2 eggs, beaten
3 1/2 Cups Sugar + 3 tbsp cinnamon combined
The zest of (1) navel orange
2 pounds chopped pecans (or your nut of choice)
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2) Lay a clean, flat sheet (that you don't mind getting dirty) on a large flat surface, I use my dining room table that is roughly 3ft x 5ft. Lightly flour the entire surface.
3) Place risen dough in the center of the table. Alternate rolling and stretching out the dough with the goal of stretching the dough over your entire surface, or until the dough is approximately 1/2cm thick throughout. This takes time and patience, if the dough rips, just pinch it back together and keep going.
4) Once the dough is fully rolled out, pour melted butter over the dough and use your hands or a brush to evenly coat the entire surface. Next, add the beaten eggs and repeat the process
5) Sprinkle the entire sugar mixture over dough, use your hands or a spoon to ensure total surface coverage.
6) Spread chopped pecans or nuts over cinnamon-sugar mixture
7) Sprinkle orange zest evenly over the entire surface
8) Place yourself and preferably another person next to the longest side of the dough and evenly roll the dough into a log.
9) Cut the log into loaf size segments and add to a greased bread pan
10) Allow to rise for (1) hour with a covered cloth then bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
11) Thinly slice loaf to serve and enjoy!