This Homemade Povitica Recipe is a beautiful and delicious treat that’s perfect to give as a gift for the holidays! Povitica Bread is a rich homemade bread with a cinnamon walnut filling that is an old family favorite. 

When I think about the holidays, this Povitica Recipe always comes to mind (along with these snickerdoodles, these cut-out sugar cookies and these cinnamon rolls)! It is a very special and beautiful holiday treat that is the perfect gift to bring wrapped up, still warm from the oven, to a neighbor or friend. Add a bag full of these cinnamon pecans and you’re set!

Povitica Bread is a rich homemade bread with a cinnamon walnut filling that is an old family favorite, delicious for a Christmas morning breakfast, Mother’s Day brunch, etc. 

Povitica Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

As always this recipe for povitica bread is the best when made as written. The only potential substitution I could (in good conscience) recommend is using pecans in place of walnuts if you’re not a walnut fan!

How to Make Povitica Bread

This Povitica recipe has a few different steps, and as always we’ll walk through them together. Don’t forget to watch the video too!

Begin by proofing the yeast, water and sugar.

Begin this povitica bread reicpe by preparing the wet ingredients. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk to just below boiling (about 180°F), stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly, until it is about 105°F. Once cooled, whisk in the melted butter, sugar and salt to the milk until combined. Add egg, vanilla and yeast mixture and stir to combine.

The most important thing to note about this process is to make sure that your ingredients are below 105 degrees F before combining them with the yeast. If they are warmer than that you will very likely kill the yeast and the bread will not rise.

Once the wet ingredients are prepared, add the flour to the container of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. You can also place it in a large bowl and mix by hand. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and mix the dough with the dough hook until it forms a smooth, elastic ball. 

If necessary, add up to 2 Tablespoons more flour until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball.

Rise

Place the Povitica dough in a lightly-greased bowl covered with a wet towel and let it rise for 1.5 to 2 hours (or until doubled in size).

 Make the Povitica Filling 

While the Povitica bread dough is rising, make the filling. You can use a high-powered blender or food processor to make the filling.

Start by putting the wet ingredients into the container and blending/processing until they are warm. Then add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until ingredients are combined and walnuts are chopped into small pieces. Let the filling stand-covered-at room temperature until the rise is complete!

Roll & Assemble Povitica Dough

Next comes the rolling and assembling. Roll out the povitica bread dough into a large rectangle and gently spread the filling over it, leaving a 1/2″ space at the edges bare. Tightly roll the dough into a jelly roll, making sure to apply ample pressure to ensure a tight roll.

Make an “S” Shape in the Pan

Take the rolled povitica bread dough “rope” and stretch it just a touch. Then form it into an “S” shape in a prepared baking pan. This is what gives this povitica recipe it’s beautiful appearance! At this point let the bread sit, covered, while you preheat the oven and get ready to bake.

Bake

Bake the Povitica bread in the oven once it’s preheated, and after 15 minutes, decrease the temperature and continue baking for about 45 more minutes!

Cool & Serve

When it is finished, place the bread in the pan on a wire rack to cool. This povitica bread is heavy, so it is very important to leave it in the pan while it cools so that it retains its shape. Once this povitica recipe completely cool dive on it! Carefully slice the povitica bread and share with your family and friends!

Store

Store this povitica bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. 

To Freeze

You can freeze the entire, baked loaf of Povitica bread. Let it cool completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. You can also freeze individual slices in the same way. 

Povitica Bread Recipe FAQs

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