Potica (Po-tee-tsa) is a traditional Eastern European nut bread that is served at Easter, Christmas, weddings and other special occasions. This particular recipe came from the hills of Poland. Warning: this is not a project to be undertaken lightly. Potica making is an all day process and like most Polish cuisine is best if done with family or friends. When I make this I must at least have my husband's help but like 2 other people. For a detailed demonstration please refer to the video.
3 pkg yeast
dissolved in ½ cup warm water and 2 tsp sugar
1. 1 ½ cups scalded mild
Add
into hot milk: 2 cubes butter, 2 T shortening, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp salt. Cool
with 1 ½ cups water
2. In a medium bowl
Beat: 6 eggs (with electric
beater)
Add: 3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3. In a large bowl
Mix: 4 cups flour
Yeast mixture
Milk mixture (1)
4, Add Egg mixture
(2) to Flour mixture (3)
5. Add to above
mixture
8
cups flour, stirring (12 total) (About 5 min)
(Add
more until dough is right: about 2 cups)
(14
total) (2 minutes)
Let dough set 15
minutes
Knead 15 minutes
by hand or ½ hour in mixer.
Grease large
Tupperware- put in dough.
Let rise 1 hr
(until double)
Punch down and let
rise 1 ½ - 2 hrs.
Filling: 4 lbs.
walnuts – ground
2 squares butter
6 beaten eggs
3 tsp vanilla
2 cans evaporated milk
Divide dough
Roll dough out as
thin as possible
Put filling on –
spread with knife
1
cup on 1 lb.
4
cups on large
Roll up and place
into greased pans
1
lb dough into 7 ½” pan – snake 3 times
2
½ lbs into angel food cake pan, twist around twice
Grease top of
loaves
Let rise ½ - 1
hour
Prick with fork
Bake at 325°
Small
– 1 hour
Large
– 1 ½ hour
Rolls
– 10-15 min
9 ½ lbs dough.
1 – 2 ½ lb. 8 - ¾ lb. 6-7 - 1 lbs.