Just like grandma used to make! This recipe is delicious but a lot of work, to roll that dough out so thin you can read the newspaper through it. But if you are Slovenian you owe it to your heritage to make this at least once a year!
We have our own family recipe. Potica has been passed down in my family for four generations. We do NOT use raisins and always use walnuts NOT pecans. Either use a cheesecloth or flat sheet on your table for rolling out. Sometimes you have to pull the dough to strech it out. Then you can lift the sheet on the side to have the dough w/filling roll nicely.
I've made potica or povitica as my Croatian Grandma would say for several years but was never satisfied with the dough recipe until I tried this one. It is very easy to work with light and delicious. I increase the amount of raisins and walnuts and grind them into a spreadable paste using a food processor. Also I add between 1/4 - 1/2 cup sweet red wine to the filling recipe.
This is only one of the many varieties of this slovenian pastry dishes. As one of the reviewers said - do it once a year. It is traditionaally made for Christmass or Easter and is really hard to make it "just right". My mother has been making it for 10 years now and she still hasn't mastered it.
One of the best desserts ever!
I've made and eaten potica all my life. This filling appears harder than it should. I've never used raisins nor would I. Ground walnuts are best and most nut stores sell them already ground.
I decided I had enough practice in bread baking to take on one of the really difficult ones. I was right in thinking this bread would be a challenge. It's not a problem that potica takes some time to make--lots of breads take time and this one does too. The challenge of this bread is rolling the dough out thin yet not so thin that the filling seeps out. I did two loaves: one about 18 inches long and one about 14 inches long. The filling seeped out of the longer one (too thin layers) and the top layer of the fatter loaf split (otherwise it was fine). So I'm going to keep practicing because even though my loaves aren't as pretty as Olga's or Christine's they tasted really good. Thanks Christine!
Very delicious potica. I ommit the raisins. This recipe is better than the bread we get from our Slovenian baker!!!!
I have a similar recipe given to me by my MIL that has been passed down through her Slovanian family for years. We make a HUGE batch (5 loaves) and the easiest way to cut the loaves is to use unflavored dental floss. It also helps if you use a large cheese cloth to aid in rolling the dough..
