Traditional Croatian Povitica Recipe: Sweet Walnut Roll Guide

Povitica is a traditional Eastern European dessert bread that’s as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat.

This recipe comes from Jenni, submitted for a Daring Bakers challenge — perfect timing since we’d just harvested and dried our own walnuts for the season. Jenni discovered that the povitica at her farmer’s market sold for $25 per loaf and decided to learn how to make it herself.

It’s a sweet bread!

Povitica isn’t quite a cake or a tart — it’s a yeasted bread rolled with a rich walnut filling. The signature swirl of nuts inside makes it striking when sliced, and the flavor is wonderful. In our house it didn’t last long: my eldest devours anything with nuts, my middle child isn’t a fan of plain nuts but loved this bread, and the youngest will eat anything.

📖 Recipe

RECIPE CARD

Povitica

Andréa

Povitica is a traditional Eastern European dessert bread that’s as lovely to look at as it is to eat.

5 of 2 votes

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Prep Time
15 mins

Cook Time
1 hr

Rise time
3 hrs

Total Time
4 hrs 15 mins

Course
Bread Baking, Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine
European Cuisine

Servings
12 slices

Calories
368 kcal

Step-by-Step Directions

Ingredients

Activate the Yeast

• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
• 1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast

Dough

• 120 ml whole milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar (about 43 g)
• 9 g salt
• 1 large egg
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 280 g all-purpose flour, sifted

Walnut Filling

• 280 g ground walnuts
• 60 ml whole milk
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 1 egg yolk, beaten (large)
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 115 g sugar
• ¼ teaspoon Dutch unprocessed cocoa
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

• 30 ml cold, strong coffee
• 7 g sugar
• Melted butter for brushing

All measurements are provided in metric and US customary where applicable.

Instructions

Activate Yeast

• In a small bowl, stir the sugar and flour into the warm water, add the yeast, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.

To Make the Dough

• Heat the milk in a saucepan until just below boiling (about 82°C/180°F), stirring to prevent a film forming. Allow to cool to about 43°C/110°F.
• In a large bowl, combine the scalded milk, sugar, and salt. Add the beaten egg, yeast mixture, melted butter, and about 120 ml (½ cup) of flour.
• Mix thoroughly, then add the remaining flour gradually until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.
• Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead, adding small amounts of flour as needed, until smooth and not sticky.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 1½ hours, until doubled.

To Make the Filling

• In a large bowl, mix the ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa.
• Heat the milk and butter until boiling, pour over the walnut mixture, and stir to combine.
• Add the beaten egg yolk and vanilla, mixing thoroughly. Let the filling stand at room temperature until ready to spread; thin with a little warm milk if it becomes too thick.

To Roll and Assemble

• Cover your table with a clean sheet or cloth and lightly dust with flour.
• Roll the dough on the cloth, starting in the center and working outward, until it measures roughly 25 x 30 cm (10–12 inches). Spoon 1–1½ teaspoons of melted butter over the surface.
• Using the tops of your hands (or a rolling pin), stretch the dough from the center until it is thin and almost translucent — you should be able to see the pattern of the cloth beneath.
• Spread the walnut filling evenly over the dough.
• Lift the edge of the cloth and roll the dough like a jelly roll into a long rope.
• Gently coil the rope into a greased loaf pan in a U-shape, with the ends meeting in the middle so the coils will create the characteristic swirl when sliced.
• Brush the top with a mixture of 30 ml cold strong coffee and 1½ teaspoons sugar (or use egg white if preferred). Cover lightly and let rest for about 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (moderate). Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 150°C/300°F and bake another 45 minutes, or until done. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil.
• Remove from oven, brush with melted butter, and cool on a wire rack for 20–30 minutes. For best slices, turn the loaf upside down and cut with a serrated knife.

Nutrition

Calories: 368 kcal

Carbohydrates: 36 g

Protein: 8 g

Fat: 23 g

Saturated Fat: 6 g

Cholesterol: 48 mg

Sodium: 359 mg

Fiber: 3 g

Sugar: 15 g

Keyword
sweet bread with walnuts, baking a sweet bread

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!