Taste Eastern European history when you make this Croatian nut roll! Povitica made simple and easy with puff pastry! YUM!
How to Pronounce Povitica
You can listen various pronunciations on YouTube. 'PO vuh teet zuh' 'PAW vit tah kuh' But, you can just call it a Croatian Nut Roll or Croatian Nut Bread!
Povitica Bread
Making this delicious traditional holiday bread can take all day. That is, it can take all day if you're doing it the old-fashioned way.
Croatian Bread
But, if you're making this Croatian bread using my short cut, yes, puff pastry, then you can have amazingly delicious loaves of povitica in no time at all. Make ahead of time and freeze!
Povitica Recipes
With any of the povitica recipes, adjust and modify to your tastes. If you want more of the classic cinnamon taste, then simply omit the cocoa and add more cinnamon. If you want to use almonds then you might swap vanilla extract for almond extract. If you want to sprinkle in raisins or dried cranberries (I think I'd chop them up finer.) then that's your choice. And, if shredded coconut is your love, like mine, then make it all about coconut!
Making Povitica
This is the way my Mom made povitica. It was an almost all day process. Oh, gosh, I remember that there was no stand mixer. No fancy equipment to make this recipe other than pure love and Mom's strong hands.
Walnut Povitica Recipe
Walnut povitica is classic. And, I love love this simplicity of just walnuts and maybe some cinnamon. Sometimes I'll trade cinnamon for all spice or even cardamom. If you haven't tried cardamom, used a lot in traditional Swedish pastries, then give it a try. Every loaf of povitica that you make becomes different.
How to Make Povitica Bread
The steps on how to make povitica bread are pretty simple. First a really thinly rolled out dough. And, secondly, a nice paste to spread on the dough then roll into a swirl and bake.
The very thin layers, covered with sugar and spice and all things nice, bake into a piece of art!
This Eastern European dessert bread is simply a rolled or swirled bread that is absolute ecstacy! Taste a bite of my food history and I think you'll agree!
Eastern European Food
If you want to taste other beautiful Eastern European inspired food, then here are some I've created:
Hallmark Croatian Cheesecake Eastern European Red Potato Salad
Ingredients
- Preheat oven to 350
- 1 (13 oz.) package refrigerated puff pastry, room temperature
- ¼ cup flour, all purpose
- 3 cups walnuts
- ¾ cup sugar + 1 Tbl. sugar, divided
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. cocoa
- 1 Tbl. cinnamon
- ¼ cup milk
- 8 Tbl. butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 egg, separate yolk and white, divided
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Have a large clean flour cloth (at least 28" x 28"). Place on a clean surface.
Dust flour cloth with some of the flour. Unroll the puff pastry. Use a rolling pin and gently roll out thinner to about 24-26" by 20-24".
Put the walnuts, three-fourths cup of sugar, salt, cocoa and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse until a tiny crumbly mixture. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Heat the milk and butter, melting the butter. Add the vanilla and blend. Pour into the nut mixture and blend well.
Add the egg yolk to the nut mixture and work into it. The mixture will be thick like play dough.
Put dollops of the nut mixture on the rolled-out pastry. Use a spreading knife to evenly spread over the dough leaving about ½" to ¾" from the edges.
Gently start rolling the dough end opposite yourself. Roll carefully until in one long snake roll. Brush with egg white.
You can make into a 'U' 'S' or tight 'W' or zigzag shape and put on a parchment paper lined cookie baking sheet or bread pan. Let the parchment paper extend on opposite ends. This helps with removing from baking sheet or pan when cooled.
Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 50 to 55 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
Notes
If there are any small 'holes' you can patch them by cutting off extra dough on the ends of the roll. Work in your hands to make a small patch to go over the hole. Pat gently into the dough then rush on more egg white.
The cooking vessel/type will determine what your nut roll looks like.
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