Traditional Slovenian Potica Recipe (Walnut Nut Roll)
Traditional Slovenian Potica is a labor of love that features a yeast-enriched sweet dough filled with a honey-walnut filling and baked until golden brown.
Ingredients
Potica Dough
- 2 envelopes dry active yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 5 cups all purpose flour + more if needed
Potica Filling
- 2 pounds walnuts
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
Potica Dough
- Heat milk until small bubbles form around edge and is steaming. Stir in butter, sugar and salt until dissolved. Let cool.1 cup milk, 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. salt
- Combine yeast and warm water in small bowl, let sit 5-10 minutes until bubbling and foamy.2 envelopes dry active yeast, 1/4 cup warm water
- Once milk mixture is cool add yeast mixture and eggs. Stir until well combined.3 large eggs
- In large bowl add flour and cooled milk mixture. Stir until well combined.5 cups all purpose flour
- *Turn out onto floured board and knead about 10 minutes to incorporate all flour until dough is smooth & elastic. Add more flour as needed if dough is too sticky to handle.
- Grease clean, large bowl with butter. Cover with damp cloth and let rise in warm place for 60-90 minutes or until at least doubled in size.
Potica Filling
- Grind walnuts using a food processor until finely ground.2 pounds walnuts
- Combine walnuts, sugar, brown sugar and butter in large bowl, set aside.1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter
- Heat cream and honey is small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until steaming and bubbling around edges. Pour over walnut mixture and stir to combine. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.1 cup honey, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 4 large eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Potica Assembly
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Roll dough on floured cloth as thin as you can possible get it, should be basically see-through, to a large rectangle approximately 36x50 inches.
- Warm filling on stovetop or microwave if completely cooled (will be easier to spread). Spread filling in thin, even layer over rolled dough, extending all the way to the edges.
- Tightly roll dough, starting on long edge, like a jelly roll. Pinch edge to seal. Cut into 5 loaves, approximately 10-inches in length. (Loaves do not get a second rise)
- Melt 1 ½ tablespoons butter in 3- 9x13 pans. Roll cut loaves in butter to coat.
- Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (without opening oven) and continue baking 45 minutes-1 hour until loaves are a deep golden brown. Let cool before cutting.
Notes
*Dough mixture can also be mixed & kneaded in a stand mixer with dough hook.
You can also bake potica in 9x5 loaf pans.
