Povotica

This eastern European Croatian sweet bread or coffee cake is enjoyed during Christmas and Easter. Povotica (Povo-teets-a) is out of this world delicious, no other way to describe it. My cousin makes this bread every Christmas, and I like it for a coffee or tea party.

• Ready In: 46 mins
• Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• The Bread

• 1⁄4 cup water
• 3  compressed yeast cakes
• 7  cups flour, plus
• 2  tablespoons flour
• 3  eggs, beaten until lemon colored
• 1  cup  boiled and cooled  whole milk
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 1  teaspoon  lemon extract
• 1⁄4 cup  melted butter

• The Filling

• 1⁄2 cup  melted butter
• 20  ounces ground walnuts
• 2  beaten eggs
• 2  cups white sugar
• 16  ounces raisins or 16  ounces  ground dates

Directions

1. Combine 1/4 cup water, yeast and 2 tablespoons of the flour; cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for 10 minutes.
2. Mix eggs, water, milk, sugar, salt and lemon extract together; add yeast mixture.
3. Add remaining flour until damp; add butter.
4. Knead until smooth.
5. Cover with a cloth, set in warm place, let rise until doubled in bulk.
6. Roll out dough.
7. Spread filling on dough; roll up like a jelly roll.
8. Lightly grease a large, oblong baking pan-- a jellyroll pan or sheet cake pan that is 10"x15" or 9"x13" in size.
9. "Snake"this long, jellyroll around and around the pan beginning in the center and working outward.
10. Cover with a cloth and let rise for 30 minutes.
11. Bake at 350F for 1 hour-- test for doneness by sticking a table knife deep into the center of the loaf.
12. When the knife comes out clean, the bread is ready.
13. Be careful not to overbake!
14. Cool on a cake rack before slicing.
15. Keeps well in a covered container in the fridge.