Sweet Dough Yeasted Rings (Busolai) Recipe

May 31, 2023 by tina oblak in All year round recipe, baked dish, baking, biscuits, breakfast, brunch, celebratory desserts, Celebratory dish, cookies, dessert, Easter, Easter recipes, easy baking, Easy recipe, Enriched dough, festive bakes, festive dessert, festive sweet things, home baking, Istrian cuisine, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, recipe from Northern Ital, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian Easter Sweet Br, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Snacks, Sweet bread, sweet course, sweet nibbles, Sweet Things

Busolai (also spelled Bussolai or Buzolai) are sweet treats that originate in the region of Veneto in north-east Italy. They are characteristic of Venice, and in particular on the fishermen island of Burano, hence these baked delights are also called Buranei (Burano buiscuits).

They are known as biscuits as they have the consistency of a biscuit, the dough does not contain the yeast, and it can be shaped into a ring or like the letter “S” (not a coincidence, since the S-shaped form of the biscuits makes it easier to dunk into milk or sweet wines).

They used to be only prepared and enjoyed during Easter festivities but nowadays almost every bakery on the island of Burano and in Venice sells them all year round.

Apparently, the letter from the Government of Venice, which still exists, has been found in the national archives of Italy, warning the nuns of the convent of St. Matthew on an island in the Venetian Lagoon that they should cut the number of Bussolai enjoyed during Easter festivities or otherwise they would encounter financial troubles.

The recipe for these biscuits, however, travelled further east, through the region of Friuli, and reached the city of Trieste (in Italy), and the land of Slovenian Istria across the “border”, where the recipe took a slightly different turn

The yeast was added to the dough making these baked goodies resemble more like soft doughnuts than the cookies, in fact, in the area they are described by the locals as sweet bread rings (obročki iz sladkega kruha).

As soon as they were freshly baked, it was a custom of some locals to spoon a bit of rum or grappa over them and sprinkle them with extra sugar.

Being like biscuits or doughnuts, they have one unmistakable characteristic in common, they have a hole in the centre, called “busa” in Venetian dialect”, hence their name, Busolai.

To make things more confusing in terms of naming this sweet treat, busolai are sometimes known as “kolach”, name originated from Old Slavonic word kolo meaning “wheel” or “circle”.

Once again, they were baked during festivities, especially during Easter since a great percentage of eggs are used in the recipe (egg representing the symbol of rebirth and resurrection).

These sweet baked rings were traditionally very popular during Confirmation (a rite in the Christian Church, at which baptized persons affirm their Christian belief, and are admitted as a full member of the Church).

Busolai were made into a garland with the use of a simple string and the godfather would gift these to his god child. This is described by a very well know and famous proverb in local dialect “Chi ga santoli ga buzzolai” (only the one who has a godfather will get busolai).

This tradition would be furthermore highlighted by another proverb in the local dialect “Bezi, basi e bussolai no i xe boni se no I xe assai,” which translates in standard Italian as (Soldi, baci e bussolai non sono buoni se non sono assai), and in English means that money, kisses and bussolai are no good if not given in abundance.

My husband’s uncle (known as zio Livio) with a garland of bussolai received on his Confirmation day by his godfather

This custom used to be very popular in Slovenian Istra, and almost each village would have a slightly different recipe for it. I am sharing with you my nona's recipe from the village of Marezige, a few kilometres from a coastal town of Koper where there used to be only one baker in town, at the time when my nona was a little girl, selling busolai, run by a family of Venetian origin.

Very sadly, there are no bakers selling busolai anymore, moreover, the custom of godfathers gifting the children with busolai has completely died out, and younger generations have never seen or heard of busolai.

Only a bunch of elderly people still alive today will tell you, with nostalgic voices and tearful eyes, with touching and emotional stories about their Confirmation Day, and they very much anticipated sugar coated busola, the only gift they received, if they were lucky enough.

Recipe

Ingredients

500g regular plain flour
1 cube of fresh (brewer's) yeast 42g or 14g of dry yeast
100g unsalted butter, melted
150g sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
100ml tepid lukewarm milk (semi skimmed or full fat)
2 Tbsp dark rum or grappa (alcoholic, fragrant grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin)
finely grated lemon zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
pinch of sea salt
1 small egg, lightly beaten, for glazing (can use lightly beaten egg whites, the busolai will result lighter in colour after baking)

Method

In a small bowl place dry or fresh yeast (if using fresh yeast slightly brake it down into smaller pieces with your fingers).

Add 100ml of lukewarm milk and ¼ tsp of caster sugar.

Gently stir and leave for about 20 minutes or until gentle bubbles form on the surface.

In a separate mixing bowl put the eggs, egg yolks and beat them gently.

Add melted butter, sugar, rum or grappa, grated lemon zest and a pinch of sea salt, and with the fork mix well all the ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl put the flour, add egg mixture and the yeast mixture.

Combine well all the ingredients with the wooden spoon or spatula to start with. When all the ingredients are well combined transfer the mixture onto a clean, floured surface.

Work with your hands and knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes, stretching it and folding it, adding a little flour at the time if the dough is too sticky.

Knead the dough until it becomes smooth, soft, shiny and elastic (the dough should not stick to the surface or your hands).

Shape the dough in a ball, place it back into a previously oiled mixing bowl.

Cover tightly with cling film, leave to rest and prove in a draft free space at a room temperature for 3 hours.

After this time your dough should be at least double in size.

Line 2 large flat baking trays with baking parchment.

Take the dough out of the mixing bowl, place it on a working surface, knock the air out of the dough and shape it into a log.

Divide the dough into more or less equal parts (10-12 parts each weighting roughly 100g).

Shape each piece of the dough into a sausage and form a ring, pinching the ends together (make sure you are generous with the size of the ring, during the baking the busalai rise and stretch quite a bit, if the whole is too small, after the baking you will end up with busolai that have almost a non-existing hole, not that this is really a problem).

Place your ring-shaped sweet dough onto a tray.

Cover with clean tea towel and leave to prove for the second time for about 30 minutes.

Gently brush the sweet dough rings with lightly beaten egg or egg whites and sprinkle the top of the rings with sugar.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake for 20 to25 minutes or until well risen and deep golden brown (they will be slightly lighter in colour if you brush them with egg whites).

Remove from the oven and transfer the busolai to a wire rack to cool completely.

Busolai are best eaten within a few hours.

You can easily freeze them, just make sure you freeze them as soon as they are completely cool.

Wine suggestion

Vin Santo di Torgiano DOC 2010 - Lungarotti

Easter Sweet Plaited Bread (Tičice) Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sardines

April 07, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, baking, breakfast, brunch, celebratory desserts, Celebratory dish, child friendly dish, dessert, Easter, Easter recipes, Easter treats, easy baking, Easy recipe, Enriched dough, festive bakes, festive dessert, festive sweet things, home baking, Istrian cuisine, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, Rustic dish, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian Easter Sweet Br, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Spring recipe, Sweet bread, sweet course, sweet finger food, sweet nibbles, Sweet Things

This celebratory sweet bread is similar to Jewish Challah, and is very flavoursome, soft and fluffy. It is made with yeasted enriched dough, and is shaped into a plait (or braid), and decorated with hard boiled eggs. It is very popular and traditionally baked during Easter festivities in Slovenian and Croatian Istra, Dalmatia (in Croatia) and in neighbouring Trieste in Italy and its surrounding areas.

It is best eaten fresh straight away, on its own with tea, coffee, or sweet wine, or paired with, as is traditionally the case, with cooked ham, and a selection of cheeses or cold dry cured meats. It is equally very delicious toasted the following day with some butter or jam.

This traditional recipe for sweet bread can be distinguished from other recipes for sweet bread across Europe by the addition of dark rum or grappa in the dough for extra flavour, and by the quantity of eggs used. This makes the bread have a heavier and slightly denser texture and richer taste, but this also means that it also requires a longer proofing time.

The eggs in the bread have symbolic significance in Christianity. Eggs represent new birth, new life, and are a reminder of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. Traditionally, new converts to Christianity were baptised on Easter Sunday, representing their new birth in the faith, and new life in the Church. During the Middle Ages eggs were also a real treat to eat on Easter Sunday since they were forbidden during Lent, the 40 days of fasting before Easter.

Most of the time every household back home would bake two kinds of bread: the dough would be divided in half, and one kind is pinca bread, and is shaped like a regular round type of bread, but with cross-shaped incision on the top (representing Christ’s Crucifixion), and the other kind of bread, using the other half of the dough, is tičice, the braided variation with a hard boiled egg.

I am sharing here the recipe for this very traditional Easter sweet bread that has been made in my family for generations, it will make your holiday even more special!

Recipe

Method

This recipe will make 2 braided breads.

To make sweet bread plait, follow the recipe for basic sweet bread (pinca).

After the dough has risen and doubled in volume, remove it from the bowl.

Tip it onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough in half.

Divide one half of the dough into 3 equal parts (cover the other half of the dough with the tea towel to prevent it from drying).

Roll each piece of the dough into 3 logs.

Join and pinch the ends of all 3 logs together to start shaping them into a braid.

Pinch the opposite end of the braided dough together.

Place it on a baking tray previously lined with baking parchment.

Repeat the process with the other half of the dough.

Decorate the plait with hard boiled eggs (you can use the eggs previously decorated and dyed, see my recipe how to decorate and dye the eggs, Easter Eggs Dyed with Onion Skins Recipe). Place hard boiled eggs at the end part of the braid, pressing down a bit, almost creating a little nest where the egg can sit.

Brush both plaits with the egg whites.

Allow braided loaf to rise in warm, draft free, room for about 1 hour.

Bake in the preheated oven at 180C for about 30 minutes, tent it with the aluminium foil halfway through if the top starts browning too much.

Once baked, take from the oven.

Transfer on a cooling rack and let it cool a bit.

Best served fresh still a bit warm.

Just a thought

Best eaten freshly baked on the same day.

Store leftover sweet bread in an airtight container for up to three-four days.

You can toast the slices and enjoy them with butter, jam, peanut or almond butter or use it to make French toast or bread and butter pudding, delicious!

Wine suggestion

Fior d'arancio Colli Euganei Spumante Dolce DOCG 2021 - Alla Costiera

Austrian Style Sweet Pull Apart Yeast Buns Recipe

Beans and Sardines

March 09, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Austrian inspired dishes, Autumnal dish, Autumnal recipe, baked dish, baking, breakfast, brunch, Central European recipes, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dessert, Eastern European recipes, easy baking, Easy recipe, Enriched dough, family friendly dish, home baking, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, Mitteleuropean cuisine, Mitteleuropean dish, Mitteleuropean food, Mitteleuropean recipes, pudding, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Snacks, Sweet bread, sweet course, sweet finger food, sweet nibbles, Sweet Things

These soft, fluffy and airy sweet yeast buns are filled with apricot jam and are simply irresistible. This baked treat is similar to a crown loaf, it breaks into 12 individual rolls which makes it perfect for sharing, and they transport very well to take on a picnic.

As soon as they are baked the outside is lightly golden and slightly crispy but the crust becomes soft when the buns cool down.

They can be enjoyed as a dessert and are perfect for breakfast, great with tea or coffee, and kids love them as a snack, any time of the day, with a glass of milk or hot chocolate.

They are Austrian in origin (Buchteln plural form and Buchtel singular) where they are very commonly served with the vanilla sauce. These sweet buns are unknown to many people, and because they are slightly off the beaten track, this makes them a bit of an undiscovered treasure. However, they are very popular in Slovenia which borders Austria, and was once part of Austro-Hungarian Empire.

I remember that these buns were baked in school for our mid morning snack, accompanied by a hot drink. The aroma of freshly baked buhteljni (this is what they are called in Slovenian) would travel through the corridors into the classrooms – disrupting at times our concentration! Indeed, just before the break we children would get so excited the teachers found it almost impossible to contain us.

Here I am sharing the recipe of my maternal grandmother, stara mama Iva, she baked them often on a regular basis, they went down as a real treat every single time, and she never seemed to bake enough of them...

Recipe

Ingredients

This recipe makes 12 buns

400g all purpose (plain) flour
40g butter, melted and slightly cooled
pinch of sea salt
finely grated lemon zest of one unwaxed lemon
½ Tsp vanilla extract
2 medium eggs, at room temperature
140ml semi-skimmed or full fat milk, lukewarm
60g caster sugar
5g (1 ½ Tsp) dry fast-action yeast
apricot jam or a jam of your preference for the filling

For the glaze

40g melted unsalted butter for the brushing

For serving

icing sugar or vanilla icing sugar for dusting

Method

Put the sifted flour in a large mixing bowl and add the sea salt to one side of the bowl.

Make a well, pour in lukewarm milk and add the yeast.

In a separate smaller bowl, add the eggs and whisk them lightly. Add the sugar, melted and slightly cooled butter, and vanilla extract.

Pour the egg mixture to a big mixing bowl and add finely grated lemon zest.

Stir the mixture with the fork first so all the ingredients come together, incorporate, and combine well to make a fairly sticky dough.

Tip the dough into a lightly floured working surface and knead by hand for about 10-15 minutes, adding a little extra flour if needed.

The dough should be very soft, shiny and elastic.

Transfer the dough to a large lightly oiled container or bowl. Cover tightly with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about at least 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Form into a sausage and divide into 12 equal pieces.

Flatten them to the thickness of about 1cm to obtain mini pizza shaped discs. You can do this by using floured rolling pin or stretch the dough with your hands.

Put one teaspoon of apricot jam in the centre, on top of each circle, and close the ends well. Do not try to be overgenerous with the jam, if the filling gets on the edges of the disc, it is almost impossible to seal them because the dough will stop sticking. Wrap the dough around the filling, pinching and sealing it tightly You should end up with 12 parcels.

Lightly grease a 23cm round, deep springform cake tin. You can use other shapes of baking trays, just make sure they are greased to prevent the buns from sticking.

Place the parcels, one next to each other, so they are snug and touching with the seam side down in a non stick baking tray. Melt the butter and brush the top and all the sides.

Leave to proof for a second time, for about 30min, by covering them with a clean kitchen cloth in a warm room with no draft until they are nicely risen and puffed up.

Bake at 180º static in the preheated oven, on the middle shelf, for about 30minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

The buns should be lightly golden on top and well risen.

Leave in the tin for about 5 minutes, then release the sides of the tin.

Remove and place the sweet buns to a wire rack to cool.

Dust the buns with regular or vanilla icing sugar and enjoy.

Traditional Istrian Fig Strudel made from sweet yeast dough Recipe

Beans and Sardines

October 12, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, Autumnal dish, Autumnal recipe, baked dish, baking, breakfast, celebratory desserts, dessert, easy baking, Enriched dough, festive bakes, festive dessert, festive sweet things, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, Rustic dish, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Small bites, Snacks, summer dish, summer recipe, Sweet bread, sweet course, sweet finger food, sweet nibbles, Sweet Things

This rustic bake is one of the most traditional and authentic sweet treats in the cuisine of Slovenian Istra, it is called by the locals kvašen štrudelj s figami or kvašen štrukelj s figami, and it is made from soft, brioche like sweet yeast dough and fig filling.

It is usually baked towards the end of summer and early autumn, when the figs are in abundance, and although fig filling is the most common and most traditional, other fruits can be used like apples, pears or plums, and different type of nuts can be added too.

This sweet fig log is a bit of a “gastronomic hybrid”, it looks like a strudel in a way that is rolled into a log like a strudel, but it is made from yeast dough, resembling quite strongly, in terms of flavour, to the dough that is used to make a traditional Slovenian nut roll, Potica.

This sweet bake used to be prepared and offered for special occasions as a dessert at the end of a big meal, and given to children as a snack and a special treat. Nowadays, it is also eaten for breakfast and offered with tea and coffee, but it is not commonly found in the restaurants and almost exclusively baked in the household.

Istrian cuisine is a no waste cuisine, so juicy figs, with their delicately perfumed flavour, when fully ripen and plentiful, would get picked, chopped, cooked down in a frying pan with some butter to bring out their innate sweetness, cooled completely and then frozen to be used during late autumn and winter season, when fresh figs are no longer available.

As a child, on the Slovenian coast, where I grew up, I would eat figs straight from the tree and the common sight of ripe figs slowly started to mark the end of summer and the start of cooler days, back to school days...

I am sharing here this slightly off the beaten track, very special recipe, passed to me by my nona Nada and her dear friend Arnanda. It was truly touching listening to them, deep in conversation about the recipe, and its different variations, even when the villages only a few kilometres apart from each another.

Celebrate this wonderful fruit that marks the transition into autumn and try this delicious bake,. However, if you cannot get hold of fresh figs, you can just use fig jam, or any other jam of your preference for the filling. Your friends and family will be seriously impressed.

Recipe

Ingredients for the dough

500g plain all purpose white flour
7g fast-action dried yeast (also called instant yeast) or 20g fresh yeast
100g unsalted butter, melted
100g caster sugar
250ml lukewarm milk or water or a combination of the two (125ml milk and 125ml water)
2 eggs, room temperature, slightly beaten
grated lemon zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
1 Tsp sea salt

Ingredients for the filling

The filling is made from fresh figs, you can use other fresh fruit like apples, pears, plums or fig jam instead, or any other jam of your preference.

1kg, roughly, of fresh figs
20g unsalted butter
grated lemon zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
200ml single cream or ricotta

Method

The dough

In a fairly large bowl, sift the flour, make a little well in the centre and add lukewarm milk, instant yeast melted butter, sugar, lightly beaten eggs, grated lemon zest and a pinch of sea salt on the side of the bowl.

Mix and combine well all the ingredients with the fork or a wooden spoon.

(If using fresh yeast, place it into a small bowl and slightly break it down into smaller pieces with your fingers. Add a few tablespoons of tepid milk, ¼ tea spoon of sugar, gently stir and leave for about 15-20 minutes or until gentle bubbles form on the surface).

Transfer the mixture onto a well floured working surface and start kneading, for about 10 minutes, adding a little flour at a time if the mixture is too wet and sticky (this will partially depend on the flour and the size of the eggs)

Alternatively, use a mixer fitted with a dough hook and leave running for about 5 minutes.

The dough is ready when it ends up being really smooth and elastic. It should not stick to your hands or working surface and should leave the bowl clean, if using a mixer.

Transfer the dough back into a very lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film (I use a shower cap, works really well).

Put the bowl in a warm room free of drafts for at least one hour and leave the dough to rest and rise, the dough should increase in volume and double in size.

While the dough is resting and rising start preparing the filling.

The filling

Wash the figs and pat dry them.

Transfer the figs onto a chopping board, half them, quarter them and then roughly chop them.

In a fairly large frying pan melt the butter and add chopped figs.

Cook them for a few minutes on a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until they become completely soft and break down. (if the skin of the figs is still a bit hard, break it down with the help of a wooden spoon).

Cool completely and set aside.

Transfer cooked figs into a bowl, add the cream and the lemon zest, stir and mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

Flour well your working surface and rolling pin. Put your dough onto a working surface and roll it out to a more or less rectangular shape (40cmx50cm) to the thickness of about or not more than 1cm.

This will give you a one big loaf, this is how it is traditionally made, and this is the size I made for this recipe.

Because of its size, it could be a bit tricky to handle if you are not familiar with the recipe.

I suggest you might want to divide the dough and the filling in half and make two logs instead.

Take the fig mixture and spread it evenly on the rolled dough but leave some space around the edge so the filling does not come out when rolling the dough.

Gently roll the filled dough quite tightly into a log and tuck well in the edges.

Place the log onto a baking tray, previously lined with baking parchment.

Cover with a clean kitchen towel , place it in a warm, draft free room and leave to prove for the second time for about 30 minutes or until well risen, not necessarily doubling in size.

Take a toothpick and make a little holes in the dough on the whole surface and brush with either some melted butter or beaten egg.

Bake in the preheated oven at 180C static, or equivalent, for about 50-60 minutes. Halfway through baking, tent the roll with the aluminium foil to prevent it browning too much and starting to burn.

Leave on a baking tray until completely cool.

Transfer on a serving plate, dust with icing sugar and serve.

Just a thought

For a more modern version of this traditional fig based sweet treat you can use ricotta instead of the single cream for preparing fig mixture filling and adding a splash of vanilla extract to both the filling and the dough mixture.

Fig roll tastes at its best the day after has been baked.

You can store it in an airtight container for up to five days and is suitable for freezing.

Wine suggestion

Alto Adige Moscato Rosa Passito DOC 2018 - Laimburg

Potica – traditional Slovenian festive nut roll Recipe

Beans and Sardines

December 20, 2021 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, Autumnal dish, Autumnal recipe, baked dish, baking, breakfast, celebratory desserts, Celebratory dish, Christmas dish, dessert, Easter dish, Easter treats, Enriched dough, festive dessert, Festive dish, festive sweet things, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Sweet bread, sweet course, sweet finger food, sweet nibbles, Sweet Things, Vegetarian, Winter dish, Winter recipe, festive bakes, Christmas bakes

Potica – traditional Slovenian festive nut roll Recipe

Potica is a light brioche like roll filled with rich and very tasty walnut filling, it is the most famous Slovenian dessert and the queen of festive sweet treats.

This cake is traditionally prepared and eaten around Christmas and Easter or other special and festive occasions like the weddings, Christening, family celebrations like birthdays and the birth of a new baby, but these days potica is available to buy in bakeries and supermarkets all year round.

Most loved and well-known is walnut potica, with or without raisins, but other regional sweet and savoury varieties are also very popular, where fillings are most commonly made with poppy seeds, pork crackling, cottage cheese and tarragon. They are all super delicious and recipes for potica are proudly passed from generation to generation.

The name "potica" derives from a Slovenian word “poviti” which means to roll up or to wrap and goes back as far as 16th century when it was baked in Slovenian monasteries.

In Slovenia, potica is traditionally baked in “potičnik” which is a round bundt-style baking dish made from ceramic, but it is also very commonly baked in a simple bundt cake tin, loaf tin or cake pan.

Potica, this Slovenian national treasure, has been registered as a Traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) in the European Union since April 2001.

A slice of potica can be a great choice for breakfast, is ideal as an afternoon treat with coffee or tea, or like me, you will find any excuse, or none at all, to eat it.

I am sharing here the recipe of my nona's grandmother that made the filling for potica using a mixture of walnuts and almonds, the latter being widely available in Istria.

The mild Mediterranean climate makes almond trees a very common sight. My nona told me that the filling for potica was made with a mixture of those nuts that were most readily available, and sometimes raisins and a little bit of grated apple were also added to the nut mixture, and very rarely, a piece of a chocolate bar (not the whole bar), might be grated into the mixture, which then made the potica particularly luxurious. She reminded me that in the olden days, when she was small, (in the 30s and 40s) seasonal and home grown produce were used to create a wonderful array of dishes, shopping lists, as we know them today, just simply did not exist...

Ingredients for the dough

500g all purpose flour or 00 type flour
20g of fresh yeast or 7g fast-action dried yeast (also called instant yeast)
100g unsalted butter, melted
80g caster sugar
250ml lukewarm full fat or semi skimmed milk
2 eggs, separated (egg yolks slightly beaten, keep the whites for brushing potica just before putting in the oven)
1 Tbsp dark rum
grated lemon zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
pinch of sea salt

Ingredients for the filling

250g walnuts
250g almonds (skin on or peeled)
200ml single cream (can use semi skimmed or full fat milk instead)
100g caster sugar
1Tbsp dark rum
2Tbsp of honey (about 50g)
2 eggs, separated (egg yolks slightly beaten and egg whites whisked to soft peaks)
finely grated lemon zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
icing sugar for dusting

Method

The dough

In a fairly large bowl, sift the flour, make a little well in the centre and add instant yeast, melted butter, caster sugar, lightly beaten egg yolks, grated lemon zest, dark rum and a pinch of sea salt. Mix and combine well all the ingredients.

(If using fresh yeast, slightly brake it down into smaller pieces with your fingers and place it into a small bowl. Add few tablespoons of tepid milk, ¼ Tsp of sugar, gently stir and leave for about 15-20 minutes or until gentle bubbles form on the surface).

Transfer the mixture onto a well floured working surface and start kneading, for about ten minutes, adding a little flour at a time if the mixture is too wet and sticky.

Alternatively, use a mixer fitted with a dough hook and leave running for about 5 minutes.

The dough is ready when it ends up being really smooth and elastic. It should not stick to your hands or working surface and should leave the bowl clean if using a mixer.

Transfer the dough back into a very lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film or clean kitchen towel.

Put the bowl in a warm room free of drafts for at least one hour and leave the dough to rest and rise, the dough should double in size.

While the dough is resting and rising start preparing the filling.

The filling

Place walnuts and almonds in a food processor and mix to a coarse consistency.

Transfer ground walnuts and almonds into a bowl, pour over lukewarm single cream and mix well.

Add caster sugar, dark rum, honey, 2 lightly beaten egg yolks and 2 egg whites (previously whisked to soft peaks and not too stiff) and grated lemon zest. Mix all the ingredient until very well combined and set aside.

Flour well your working surface and rolling pin. Put your dough onto a working surface and roll it out to a more or less rectangular shape (40cmx50cm) to the thickness of about not more than 1cm.

Take the walnut-almond mixture and spread it evenly on the rolled dough but leave some space around the edge so the filling does not come out when rolling the dough.

Gently roll the filled dough quite tightly into a log.

Cut off or tuck well in the edges.

Prepare the bundt pan (for the quantities in this recipe I use a 24cm round bundt cake tin).

Grease it very well with butter, make sure you reach all the nooks and crannies and coat it well with the flour. Shake the excessive flour out of the bundt tin.

If you do not have a bundt pan you can use:

loaf tins (cut the roll into two or three parts, depending on the size of the loaf tins you are using)
greased spring form cake tin (24cm for the quantity in this recipe)
or simply use a baking tray previously greased with butter (in this case model the log into a U shape)

Very gently place your rolled dough (seam side down) into a bundt pan, cake tin or baking tray. Cover with a clean kitchen towel, place it in a warm, draft free room and leave to prove for the second time for 30min to 1h or until well risen (not necessarily doubling in size, just filling out nicely the tin).

Take a toothpick and make little holes in the dough on the whole surface and brush with egg whites.

Bake in the preheated oven at 180C static for about 50-60 minutes. Halfway through baking, tent the potica with the aluminium foil to prevent it browning too much and starting to burn.

Leave until completely cold in a tin.

To remove the potica more easily, take a little plastic knife and run it around the edges to loosen the cake.

Transfer on a serving plate, dust with icing sugar and serve.

Just a thought

Potica tastes at its best the day after has been baked.

You can store it in an airtight container for up to five days and is suitable for freezing.

Wine suggestion

Friuli Colli Orientali Picolit Cialla DOC 2008 - Ronchi di Cialla (0.5l - astuccio)

Pinca (Sweet Easter Bread) recipe

Beans and Sardines

March 30, 2021 by tina oblak in Sweet Things, Sweet bread, Enriched dough, Easter treats, Slovenian Easter Sweet Br

Pinca is a type of egg enriched bread that is not very sweet, but is flavourful, soft and fluffy. It is similar to a brioche, but contains less butter, and is therefore lighter. It is eaten especially during Lent and Easter, but is also prepared all year round.

It is widely available in bakeries, food stores and supermarkets, but nothing compares to the one baked at home. It is so easy to make; yes, it is a bit lengthy, perhaps because of the proving times, but give it a go. When you taste the real thing you will never want to buy it again.

Traditional Italian Pinza is very popular in the province of Trieste and Gorizia. It became an essential part of culinary tradition in Istria where is called Pinca and along the Adriatic coast and Dalmatia.

Pinza bread is often mistaken for Venetian Pinza, which is very different, as the dough has distinct consistency, and it is well seasoned and flavoured, for example, with walnut kernels, sultanas soaked in rum or Marsala, soft dried figs, pine nuts and apples.

My nona Nada always made pincas for Lent, and she baked quite a few, and then gave them to the family to be enjoyed. As soon as you entered the main entrance porch of her house, the aromas were unmistakable, I instantly knew what she had been making that day, and I also knew Easter was coming soon.

Sadly, her 93 years old hands have no longer the strength to knead the dough. I bake pinca today for my family, using her exact recipe, and when I cut a slice of it, close my eyes and smell the aroma of it, I get immediately transported to her kitchen, and the vision of a pile of pincas on a wooden table, covered with hand embroidered white linen tea towels appear in my mind.

She also told me that the tradition wanted the pinca to be blessed in the church. People would fill their wicker baskets with pinca, cooked ham and hard boiled eggs and take it to the mass on Holy Saturday or early on Easter Sunday to be blessed.

Only after being blessed, it was served either for breakfast on Easter day with coffee, a selection of cured meats, cooked ham, cheese and hard boiled eggs and different types of jams and preserves or as a dessert after Easter lunch where a slice of pinca would be very commonly dunked into a sweet wine or Muscat, locally known as muškat.

The tradition is very strong and this is how it is still served today.

Pinca has a typical incision on the surface either in the shape of a 'cross' that symbolizes the suffering of Jesus Christ, or a the 'letter Y,' dividing the pinca into three sections, symbolizing the Holy Trinity in Christianity.

It is believed, that the incisions represent Jesus as a martyr, and that the Pinca itself represents a kind of Holy Sponge from which Jesus, according to the Gospels, was offered a drink during the Crucifixion (Matthew 27:48, Mark 15: 36, John 19:29).

Pinca is enriched with eggs, which also has symbolic significance, since it is a kind of constant reminder of Christianity, and the resurrection of Christ, and can also be linked to perhaps other old traditions that celebrate the arrival of spring after the bleak winter period.

Ingredients

500g regular plain flour
1 cube of fresh (brewer’s) yeast 42g or 14g of dry yeast
100g unsalted butter, melted
150g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
100 ml tepid, lukewarm milk (semi skimmed or full fat)
2 Tbsp dark rum or grappa (alcoholic, fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin)
finely grated lemon zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
pinch of sea salt
1 small egg, lightly beaten for glazing (you can use lighly beaten egg whites, it will result lighter in colour after baking)

Method

In a small bowl place fresh yeast and slightly brake it down into smaller pieces with your fingers. Add 100ml of tepid milk and ¼ Tsp of caster sugar. Gently stir and leave for about 20min or until gentle bubbles form on the surface.

In a separate mixing bowl put the egg, egg yolks and beat them gently. Add melted butter, sugar, rum or grappa, grated lemon zest, 100ml of milk and a pinch of sea salt. With the fork mix well all the ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl put the flour, add egg mixture and the yeast mixture. Combine well all the ingredients with the wooden spoon or spatula to start with. When all the ingredients are well combined transfer the mixture onto a clean, very well floured surface.

Work with your hands, adding a little flour at the time if the dough is too sticky, kneading the dough until you get a very smooth and soft dough with all the ingredients completely incorporated.

The dough will be at first quite wet and sticky, be very patient and do not be tempted to add too much flour too soon.

During the kneading, on the contrary, if you think the dough is too hard and dry add more tepid milk.

Knead the dough for about 10-15min, stretching it and folding it, until the dough is smooth in consistency and does not stick to the surface.

Shape the dough in a ball, place it back into a previously oiled big mixing bowl. Cover with cling film, leave to rest and proof in a draft free space at a warm room temperature for a minimum of 2h. After this time your dough should be at least double in size.

Take the dough out of the mixing bowl, place it on a floured surface and knead the dough once again. Divide the dough into two equal parts or three, if you wish a slightly smaller size bread and shape them into a sphere or other shapes if you prefer, maybe a plait.

Lay big baking tray with baking parchment or use a paper panettone mould if you prefer. Place the divided parts of the dough onto the baking tray. Cover with clean tea towel and put it in a warm place away from drafts and let them rest and proof for further 2h hours. I usually put the tray in the oven, by doing this I do not have to worry about the drafts or the room being too cold. Just make sure you take the tray out of the oven before turning it on in order to preheat it!

Towards the end of proofing time, heat the oven to 180C.

With the very sharp knife decisively cut the cross on the surface or Y, making sure you do not drag the dough. The cut should be quite deep but not to the point of touching the bottom of the tray. Brush with the beaten egg and put in the preheated oven to bake for about 30-40 min or until nicely golden brown in colour on the surface.

I suggest you check the colour of your pinca after about 20-25min, if it is browning too quickly, tent it with the aluminium foil and bake further.

You might want to double check if it is baked completely by pricking the centre with a clean wooden skewer (the skewer should come out clean) or use an instant food thermometer if you have one (it should register a temperature between 195 and 200C). If still wet, cover the pinca with the aluminium foil and bake for further few minutes.

It is a good idea to make sure that pinca is thoroughly baked as it browns quite quickly during the baking and therefore it is easy to undertake.

Remove from the tray and let cool completely on a cooling rack. Slice and serve.

Pinca can be stored for about 2-3 days or frozen for later use. You can also serve it sliced and slightly toasted.

Just a thought

Pinca dough can be also shaped into a plait.

Nowadays, a bit of a vanilla extract is often added to the pinca dough for extra flavour. However, it is important to remember that pinca is a humble bread, and originally only has lemon zest and dark rum or grappa added to the dough for the aroma. My nona Nada also told me that in her days vanilla was not very common to use, simply because it was a very difficult ingredient to get a hold of, and far too expensive.

Wine suggestion

Breganze Torcolato 2018 by Maculan.