This Povitica or “nut roll” is a national Croatian and Slovenian bread that is filled with a walnut spread and tightly rolled to create the beautiful swirls you see on the inside!
If you are a bread connoisseur then on top of this Povitica recipe you must also try my Easy Rustic Olive Bread, Lemon Poppy Seed Summer Squash Bread, and Honey and Herb Bread!
You guys, this bread is addictive! I first tried this while visiting friends in Kansas City. If you live close or ever visit, you have to go to Strawberry Hill. They have been there since 1903 and bake authentic Povitica of all flavors! Once I tried this, I knew that I needed to create a recipe for it. The bread is soft and fluffy, with a crisp outer shell, and the filling is sweet and melts in your mouth with each bite.
One thing I am trying to do more is make bread! I love eating bread (I mean come on who doesn’t) but I want to be better at making it from scratch. If you are wanting to as well I would recommend trying my Pan de Agua recipe first because it’s a great starter bread. However if you’re feeling ambitious then give this Povitica recipe a go!
How to make Povitica
Assemble your ingredients. For exact amounts see the recipe card below.
In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water, ½ teaspoon of sugar and yeast and set aside for 5 minutes until it is foamy.
Then, in a medium or small saucepan, heat the milk to just below boiling, about 3-5 minutes, be sure to stir occasionally. Then set aside to cool.
After the warm milk has cooled, whisk in the melted butter, 3 Tablespoons of sugar, and salt.
Next, add in the egg, vanilla, and yeast mixture to the milk mixture and whisk together.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, add in the flour.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour and mix with the dough hook until it forms a smooth ball of dough.
Next, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball.
Then place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a warm tea towel for 1 hour and 30 minutes to allow the dough to rise.
While the dough is rising you can make the walnut filling. In the bowl of a food processor or blender add in the milk and butter and pulse together until mixed well.
Next, add in the walnuts, sugar, salt and cinnamon and pulse together until everything is combined.
Then, add in the vanilla and egg yolk and pulse until the filling has combined well together. Keep at room temperature until it is ready to be spread onto the dough.
Next, spray a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Roll the dough out to roughly 20” x 8” rectangle. Be sure the dough isn’t too thin so that you can add the filling and roll without issue.
Spread the filling over the rolled out dough leaving half an inch all the way around bare.
Roll the long side of the dough as tightly as possible, as if you were creating a rope.
Then, gently stretch out the rope so that it fits in your loaf pan in an S shape.
Next, cover the loaf pan with a warm damp towel and let sit in a warm place for 15 minutes. At the same time preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 45 minutes.
After 30 minutes of cooking (15 at 350 and 15 at 300) if you are seeing the loaf starting to turn brown, cover with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.
Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. (You can tap it and it should sound hollow which means it’s done).
Finally slice and enjoy!
One important tip before making this dish
Bread making can be finicky but here is a tip that should help ease the process and have your Povitica come out beautifully!
Tightly roll
Baking and I have a love hate relationship. But one of the biggest things that can go wrong in this recipe is too much air between the layers when rolling. There is going to be some air, it just happens, but when it is time to roll the dough to create those swirls, be sure to roll as tightly as you can. This will create more internal swirls and lessen the amount of air in between the layers.
Storage Information
You can store this bread in an airtight container on your counter for 3-5 days. In your fridge for up to 1 week, or you can even freeze this Povitica for up to 2 weeks. Be sure to allow this recipe to thaw to room temperature before serving.
More Bread Recipes to love:
- Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)
- Savory Irish Soda Bread
- Indian Naan Bread
- Classic Rosemary Focaccia
- Spiced Pear and Pistachio Bread
- Rosemary and Red Onion Focaccia
Authentic Povitica Recipe
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp warm water
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp butter - melted
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the Filling
- 1/4 cup butter - melted
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 3/4 cups walnuts
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water, ½ teaspoon of sugar and yeast and set aside for 5 minutes until it is foamy.
- Then, in a medium saucepan, heat the milk to just below boiling, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then set aside to cool.
- After the milk has cooled, whisk in the melted butter, 3 Tablespoons of sugar, and salt.
- Next, add in the egg, vanilla, and yeast to the milk mixture and whisk together.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, add in the flour.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour and mix with the dough hook until it forms a smooth ball of dough.
- Next, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball.
- Then place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a warm tea towel for 1 hour and 30 minutes to allow the dough to rise.
- While the dough is rising you can make the filling. In a food processor or blender add in the milk and butter and pulse together until mixed well.
- Next, add in the walnuts, sugar, salt and cinnamon and pulse together until everything is combined.
- Then, add in the vanilla and egg yolk and pulse until the filling has combined well together. Keep at room temperature until it is ready to be spread onto the dough.
- Next, spray a 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Roll the dough out to roughly 20” x 8” in size. Be sure the dough isn't too thin so that you can add the filling and roll without issue.
- Spread the filling over the rolled out dough leaving half an inch all the way around bare.
- Roll the long side of the dough as tightly as possible, as if you were creating a rope.
- Then, gently stretch out the rope so that it fits in your loaf pan in an S shape.
- Next, cover the loaf pan with a warm damp towel and let sit in a warm place for 15 minutes. At the same time preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 45 minutes.
- After 30 minutes of cooking (15 at 350 and 15 at 300) if you are seeing the loaf starting to turn brown, cover with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. (You can tap it and it should sound hollow which means it’s done).
- Finally slice and enjoy!
VIDEO
Nutrition
This is Not how you make this bread! You got it all wrong. I’ve been making this for over 50 years started with my grandmother who learned it from her grandmother so over 150 year old recipe.the dough is pretty close but should be mixed by hand & stretched by hand thin so you can almost see trough it & as big an average round kitchen table. The filling is all wrong first you put two cubes of butter in a large nonstick pan bring to a boil then add 4 cups ground black walnuts & cook 5 min add 2 cans sweetened condensed milk boil 10 min add 1cup sugar & boil 10min constantly stirring then add tsp cinnamon & 2 eggs beaten stirring fast cause eggs will instantly cook keep slightly boiling 10 more min then cool to room temperature. My grandmother had a old cotton sheet used for the log making. She floured the sheet then stretched the dough out on the sheet, spread the filling on thin or thick depending on how gooey of bread you want, leave 1″ on edge to fold in then start the roll once you have a turn or two grab the sheet and lift! The roll will make itself. The baking part is about the same except 15 min before done brush with beatin egg. Sorry if I come across as having an attitude but this is the authentic way to make this bread try it & I promise you will never go back to your way.
Hi James, thanks for sharing your recipe. It sounds delicious.