What is potica (Slovenian Nut Roll)
Potica (pronounced poh-TEET-sah)originates from Slovenia. It's the most delicious Nut Roll, that's prepared with light brioche dough and filled with a rich, tasty filling. It's traditionally eaten on all holidays, like Easter, Christmas and other celebrations like birthdays and weddings. It might even remind you of a giant cinnamon roll or even babka, povitica, however, it's rolled together differently. Traditionally it's baked in a beautiful cake pan called Poticnik, but you can use a simple bundt cake pan or loaf pan too. There are many varieties of filling, like cottage cheese, poppy seeds and more, however, the walnut filling is the most popular.Here are some of the reasons you simply must try making this potica at home:
- rich, yet soft brioche dough
- it's not too sweet
- rich walnut filling (walnuts can be replaced with hazelnuts, pecans or almonds. Rum is also optional) Adding raisins is also very popular.
- simple to prepare
- beautifully rolled together
Foolproof recipe
Here in Slovenia, you will often hear home bakers say“oh, it could have been prettier” or“I hope next time my potica will taste better” - even though it is beyond tasty and amazing, there’s this kind of vibe of always trying to reach perfection when making potica at home. In our humble opinion, everyone who makes potica at home deserves a pat on the back. On the other hand, we totally understand the need for improvement, especially when there’s so much effort involved when making potica. It’s totally understandable that we want to achieve the best possible version. Here are some things to watch when making this amazing Slovenian Nut Roll at home.
Why did it tear or crack during baking?
Oftentimes the nut roll tears on the upper side. This happens when the dough is completely covered with nut filling (edges of the dough too). When the roll is baking in the oven, the dough is spreading and so the crust tears. You can avoid this by not spreading the filling around 10 cm / 4-inches edge. The tearing of the crust isn't a big mistake in our opinion because it's better to have your potica nicely filled with walnut filling than to have it poorly filled.
If your nut roll cracks unevenly over the whole surface then the dough hasn't risen enough before baking.
Why has the filling separated from the dough?
The filling separates from the dough when the consistency of the filling is wetter than the dough or when it's spread too thick. The consistency of the filling and dough should always be approximately the same.
How to make it nice and shiny?
There are two ways to make itshiny. We usually brush the dough with milk when the potica is already in the baking pan, right before placing it in the oven. However, if you want to make it extra shiny, brush the dough with the mixture of one egg and two tablespoons of milk. If you decide for the latter, make sure to cover the nut roll with the baking paper last 25 minutes of baking to prevent burning.
Active dry yeast or fresh yeast?
We recommend using active dry yeast for this dough because it's more stable and the yeast rises more evenly. You can, of course, use fresh yeast as well, in that case double the amount of the yeast.
How do I know that the length of the roll is long enough for mypan?
The roll has to be twice the size of the round cake pan.
Cake pan 24cm / 9-inches = 1x this recipe
Potičnik 30 cm / 12-inches = 2x this recipe
Can I bake potica in a convection oven?
If you are baking potica in a convection oven the baking time is slightly different. First, bake for 45 minutes at 165 °C / 330 °F, then reduce the heat to 140 °C / 285 °F and continue to bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
Proofing
The classic way
If you decide to prepare the dough and bake the potica the same day, you need to proof the dough twice. First, you need to proof the dough until doubled in size. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with cling film to prevent the dough from drying out. Always proof at room temperature (the room shouldn't be hot). The second proofing is for the shaped nut roll. Place the rolled potica in your pan. Cover with cling film and leave to proof at room temperature until doubled in size.
Overnight
If you decide to proof the potica overnight, you leave out the first proofing. Make the dough, spread the filling over the dough, roll, place in your cake pan (poticnik), cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight. Let the potica proof for at least 8 - 10 hours in the fridge.
Storing and Freezing
This wonderful Nut Roll is bestone day after baking. Store it in an airtight container for 4 - 5 days at room temperature. You can also freeze it. Place the nut roll in a freezer bag and freeze for up to two months. Unfreeze by leaving it in a freezer bag at room temperature for a couple of hours.
