Potica (Potica) — Slovenian Walnut Holiday Roll

• 1⅛ lball-purpose flour
• 1 cupwhole milk (warmed to 38°C)
• 7 gactive dry yeast
• 2⅛ ozgranulated sugar
• 2eggs
• 2.8 ozunsalted butter (melted and cooled)
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 1lemon (finely zested)
• 14 ozwalnut kernels (finely ground)
• 2⅛ ozhoney
• 2 tbspdark rum
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1egg white
• 25 gfine dry breadcrumbs (use only if the filling is loose)
• 1egg yolk

Instructions

1. 1

   Stir the warm milk, yeast, and 10 g of the sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer and let the mixture stand for 8 minutes. It should look lightly foamy, which confirms the yeast is active before the enriched potica dough is mixed.

2. 2

   Add the flour, remaining 50 g sugar, eggs, melted butter, salt, and lemon zest to the yeast mixture. Knead with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 8 minutes, or knead by hand for 12 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and just slightly tacky.

3. 3

   Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let it rise in a warm place for 75 to 90 minutes, until it has doubled in volume and springs back slowly when pressed with a fingertip.

4. 4

   Make the walnut filling while the dough rises by heating the milk, sugar, honey, butter, rum, and cinnamon in a saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Pour the hot mixture over the ground walnuts, stir thoroughly, and let it cool until thick and spreadable.

5. 5

   Whisk the egg white until foamy and fold it into the cooled walnut filling. If the mixture looks runny rather than paste-like, stir in the 25 g breadcrumbs so the filling will stay inside the roll during baking.

6. 6

   Butter a 25 cm tube pan, Bundt pan, or traditional Slovenian potičnik with 15 g softened butter, then dust it with 10 g flour and tap out the excess. This preparation helps the sweet yeasted roll release cleanly without tearing the walnut spiral.

7. 7

   Punch down the dough and roll it on a lightly floured cloth or work surface into a rectangle about 60 cm by 45 cm. Spread the walnut filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 2 cm bare border on all sides so the seam can seal.

8. 8

   Roll the dough tightly from the long side into an even cylinder, keeping the tension firm but not so tight that the filling squeezes out. Pinch the seam closed, then carefully lay the roll seam-side down into the prepared pan and join the ends neatly.

9. 9

   Cover the pan and let the shaped potica rise for 35 to 45 minutes, until it looks puffy but not fully doubled. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180°C and whisk the egg yolk with 15 ml milk for the glaze.

10. 10

    Brush the risen dough with the egg glaze and prick the top in 8 places with a thin skewer to release steam. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the center registers about 93°C on an instant-read thermometer.

11. 11

    Cool the potica in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert it onto a rack and let it cool completely before slicing. Cutting too early compresses the crumb and smears the walnut spiral, so wait at least 2 hours for the cleanest slices.