Homemade Povitica with a Walnut Filling

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of going over to my mother-in-law’s home to learn the delicate process of making her family’s version of povitica. I love my mother-in-law (Deanna’s) kitchen!  She has “the very best” of everything (pots, pans, utensils, implements, gizmos, etc…) you would need/want if you were going to bake/make pretty much anything.

Deanna is so incredibly talented at so many things.  She is a total “class-act” when it comes to interior decorating/design. She is an amazing entertainer (host) when it comes to dinner/cocktail parties.  She is the quintessential mother/wife/mother-in-law/ grandmother!  She bakes unbelievably well and I jumped at the chance to bake her povitica with her.

Now, for the record, she was not happy with our result.  She thought our dough was too thin in the middle due to us not raising it for enough time.  It was nowhere near doubled before I rolled it out.  Next time I will let it raise more.  Otherwise, I thought past the middle of it, to the ends of it, was perfect and we ate it all up!!!  I can’t wait until I have the time to try it again!

Here are just a couple of examples of the amazing things Deanna has baked/made/decorated when I actually had my camera handy since I have been keeping this blog:

Baked Goods on a Christmas Eve

An Easter Dinner

Baked Goods on another Christmas Eve

POVITICA (This recipe is from a collection of family recipes given to me by my incredibly talented mother-in-law, Deanna Cowley)

FILLING:

-2 lbs. walnuts

-½ lb. butter

-1 and ½ cans of sweetened condensed milk

-4 eggs

-1 and ½ cups sugar

-1 cup applesauce

Grind walnuts to a very fine size - almost mealy. In a heavy sauce pan melt butter and add condensed milk. Beat in 4 eggs, then sugar, and then the applesauce. Cook until thickened and then set aside to cool.

DOUGH:

-2 pkgs. (current) yeast

-2/3 cup warm water (more warm than cool)

-2 and ½  tsp. salt

-Mix these 3 ingredients together to let yeast dissolve and activate.

-3 large eggs (or 4 small)

-1 and 1/2 cups sugar

-1/2 cup sego

-1 and ½ cups of warm water

-7 and ¾ c. flour (plus more for rolling out dough)

-(Plus 1 to 2 egg whites to wash dough at the end of baking)

Beat eggs, sugar, and sego together. Add warm water, yeast mixture, and about 7-3/4 cup flour. Stir to combine.  Turn out onto greased counter top and knead until nice and smooth. Dough will be very sticky. Place dough ball in large greased bowl. Place in a warm oven and let dough rise until double in size (about 1 hour).

PROCEDURE:

Place large table cloth on big table and sprinkle with plenty of flour. Place dough in middle of cloth and, with a rolling pin, roll out dough till it is very thin (like paper) about 36" square. Patch any holes that tear open. Take the filling and drop large spoonful’s "here and there” on the dough and, with your fingers, spread it out evenly (as evenly as possible) to the edges. Be careful here because the dough will tear easily. Working quickly, take one end of the cloth and lift to roll the povitica. When rolled up, shape into an "S" that will fit into a greased and floured 9 x 13 cake pan. Invert the pan over the “S” shaped dough. Take all edges of the cloth and pull up tightly over the pan and turn pan over to drop povitica in place. If any slops over the side, just pick it up and tuck it in. Cook at 325° F for 1 and ½ hours.