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 it shiny. 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 my pan?
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 best one 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.
How to make potica (recipe video)
METHOD
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prepare the pans
We traditionally bake potica in a cake pan called "Poticnik". It's similar to a bundt cake pan, so you can use that or use a loaf pan. Grease with butter or lard and set aside.
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knead
In a small bowl knead together yeast, sugar, and lukewarm milk. Set aside for 10 minutes for the yeast to grow. In a large bowl combine all-purpose flour, yeast mixture, and egg yolks. Knead for a minute, then add melted butter and salt. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or use an electric mixer and knead until the dough is nice, soft and elastic, for about 5 minutes (using a mixer). Cover with cling film and set aside for about 50 - 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
TipIf the dough appears to be stiff and not elastic at all, add up to 2 tbsp of milk into the mixture. You can also substitute 1/3 of the butter with lard. -
walnut filling
Put the walnuts in a bowl of a food processor and pulse for a few seconds at a time until the walnuts are fine. Transfer to a large bowl. In a saucepan combine heavy cream, floral honey, sugar, butter, rum (optionally), lemon zest and ground cinnamon. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, then pour over the walnuts in a bowl. Stir to combine to get a nice walnut filling. Set aside for the mixture to cool to room temperature. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites with sugar to get stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the walnut mixture and stir to combine. The walnut filling mixture should be light, yet stirred well.
TipIf the walnut filling seems too liquidy, add a tsp of breadcrumbs. If the filling seems too dry, add 1 tsp of heavy cream. -
Preparation and Rolling (the classic way)
Preheat your oven to 190 °C / 375 °F. Generously dust your working area with flour. Roll the dough into a 40 cm x 35 cm / 16-inches x 13.5-inches rectangle, thickness 0.5 cm or 0.2-inch. Using an offset spatula, spread the walnut filling in an even layer over the dough. Starting at the shorter edge nearest you, tightly roll up into a tight log. Brush off any excess flour. Transfer the potica roll to the prepared pan so that the seam is looking upward. Make sure that the ends of the log are tightly pressed together or the potica won’t be as pretty and the filling will spread out while baking.
TipIf you decided to cut off the excess dough on the edges, you can bake it separately on a baking sheet. The length of the log must be double the length of the round bundt cake pan. -
proofing (classic way)
Cover the potica with a towel or cling film and let stand at room temperature until doubled in size, about 45 - 55 minutes.
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overnight proofing
If you want to proof the potica overnight, you first need to leave out the first bulk proofing. Once you knead the dough, leave it to rest at your working surface for about 15 minutes, then roll the dough into a rectangle and spread the walnut filling over the dough. Roll, transfer to your prepared pan. Cover with cling film or towel and place in the fridge to proof for about 8 - 12 hours. Then, place the cold potica into your preheated oven to bake.
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bake and serve
Using a brush, gently brush the potica with lukewarm milk. Use a skewer to poke holes all over the top of the potica all the way through to prevent air bubbles from forming and separating the filling from the dough. Transfer the potica to the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes at 180 °C / 355 °F. Then lower the heat to 160 °C / 320 °F and continue to bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the nut roll is puffed and golden brown. Let cool slightly, for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and remove the pan. Leave the potica to cool, then sprinkle with icing sugar and serve. Enjoy.
TipIf 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.
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