Walnut Cinnamon Swirl Bread 核桃肉桂麵包

I always get excited about learning, no matter if it is new knowledge, technology or, of course, new recipes.

Until recently, I did not know about this kind of bread, called Povitica. It is a Croatian sweet bread. For Croatians, Povitica is a very common gift between friends and families. This culture is very similar to gifting of mooncakes during Mid Autumn Festival for the Chinese.

Although Povitica is similar to cinnamon rolls here in America, it has its own characteristics. The dough needs to be rolled out as thin as possible and it does not need a lengthy second rise as in making regular yeast bread.

And the filling is decadent: lots and lots of ground walnuts with cinnamon and cocoa powder, all of my favorites. Perfect choice for the Holidays.

Please read the recipe and the notes at least once before you begin for best results.

我對於學習新的知識、科技及食譜都十分興奮，今次這款麵包對我而言是完全嶄新的，所以便第一時間與大家分享。它名叫Povitica ，出產於東歐的克羅地亞，當地人在喜慶日子便會互相送贈，與我們中國人在中秋節互送月餅一樣。

做這款麵包要特別注意的是要將麵團捍得越薄越好，讓它卷上大量用核桃碎、可可粉及肉桂粉的餡料，稍微鬆弛後便要馬上入爐。最適合節日送禮或食用。

請將食譜及注意事項讀至少一次才動手做呀

Recipe modified from Passionate About Baking

Ingredients to make a 9x5 inch loaf:

Dough 麵團:

280g/2 cups all purpose flour 普通/中筋麵粉

120ml/ ½ cup milk 牛奶

43g/3 tbsp sugar 糖

6g/1½ tsp instant yeast 即溶酵母

¾ tsp salt 鹽

1 large egg 大蛋

½ vanilla bean seed, optional 雲呢哪籽

30g/1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened 室溫無鹽牛油

Filling 餡料:

280g/ 1¾ cups walnuts, ground 核桃，磨幼

60ml/ ¼ cup milk 牛奶

58g unsalted butter 無鹽牛油

1 egg yolk 蛋黃

½ vanilla bean seed 雲呢哪籽

100g sugar 糖

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 可可粉

1 tsp cinnamon powder 肉桂粉

1) In the bowl of a stand mixer, put all the dough ingredients except salt and butter and mix on low speed until no dry flour is seen.

2) Add salt and knead for about 5 minutes (10 minutes if you are kneading manually). Add butter and knead until incorporated.

3) Put the dough in a greased bowl and let it rise until it doubles in volume.

4) While the dough is fermenting, prepare the filling. Add milk and butter in a small pot and bring to a boil. In a large bowl mix the rest of the filling ingredients. Pour in the hot milk mixture and mix well. You should have a spreadable paste.

5) Lay out a large piece of cloth on a large work surface (I used a large, clean pillow case). Sprinkle flour on it.

6) When the dough is ready, take it out and roll it out on the cloth. Roll it out as thin as possible. When it resists and shrinks back, let it rest for 5-10 minutes and continue. 

7) Spread the filling on the thin dough.
8) Lift up the long side of the cloth and roll up the dough.
9) Oil a loaf pan and put the dough in. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

10) While the dough is resting, turn on the oven to 350F.

11) Brush the dough with egg wash (whole egg, beaten). Bake the bread for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 300F and bake for 45 minutes.

12) Take the pan out from the oven and onto a rack. Let the bread stay inside the pan to cool for about 30 minutes.

13) Unmold the bread and continue to cool on a rack. Cut into thick slices with a serrated knife. Keep in room temperature for a few days or frozen for longer storage.

Notes:
1) The dough has to be rolled out as thin as possible and baked immediately after a brief resting time.
2) A long baking time at a lower temperature is used to ensure the dough is properly baked through without browning too much.
3) Let the bread cool inside the pan after baking. The bread is heavy with all the filling. Taking it out while it is still hot may risk breaking it.
4) I strongly recommend using a large cloth for easy rolling of this long dough (over 2 feet).

1) 搓麵團：將麵團材料 (鹽及牛油除外) 混合成團，搓成球狀後加鹽，再用機搓約五分鐘，或手搓約十分鐘。再加牛油搓勻。
2) 蓋上保鮮紙待其發酵至一倍大。
3) 做餡料：牛奶及牛油放小鍋內煲滾，其他材料放大碗內攪勻，將熱牛奶倒入攪勻，待用。
4) 準備一塊大布(我用一個乾淨的大枕頭套)，灑上麵粉。
5) 將麵團放布上，按扁後捍平，盡量捍薄。如麵團回縮，便讓它靜待幾分鐘，讓麵筋鬆弛，然後再捍。
7) 平均地塗上餡料。
8) 將布長的一方提起，使麵團卷起。
9) 小心地將卷起的麵團放入已塗油的焗盤。靜待十五分鐘。
10) 預熱焗爐至三百五十度。
11) 塗上蛋液後放入焗爐內焗十五分鐘，然後降低爐溫至三百度，焗多四十五分鐘。
12) 出爐後放架上待凉三十分鐘，之後小心脫盤，繼續放架上待凉，才可切厚片，然後放膠袋封密可保存三、四日。如有須要可放冰箱。

注意事項：
1) 麵團要盡量捍薄，卷好後只須靜待十五分鐘後便要入爐，才會做出又薄又多層的效果。
2) 因有很多餡料，所以要用低溫及長時間焗以確保焗得熟及不會焗焦。
3) 焗後切記不要立刻脫盤，這款麵包比沒有餡的重，要待稍冷後才脫盤。
4) 用一塊大布對卷起這超過兩尺長的麵團有很大幫助。