History

Croatian immigrants settled Strawberry Hill, the bluff overlooking the Kansas and Missouri river confluence, from the 1880s through World War I. Strawberry Hill Baking Company has carried the povitica tradition since 1903. The neighbourhood remains home to Krizman's Sausage and other Slavic shops; povitica is now nationally known as a Kansas City holiday gift.

Common allergens: Gluten, Nuts, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield Makes 2 loavesHands-on 2 hrTotal 5 hrDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • 4 cups bread flour
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 1 cup whole milk, warmed
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • For the filling:
  • 4 cups walnuts, finely ground
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Method

  1. Bloom the yeast in warm milk with 1 tbsp sugar for 10 minutes.
  2. Mix flour, sugar, butter, eggs, salt and the yeast mixture into a sticky dough. Knead 10 minutes.
  3. Rise covered for 90 minutes, doubled in size.
  4. Mix all filling ingredients into a thick paste.
  5. Roll the dough on a floured cloth, working it into a paper-thin rectangle the size of a tablecloth.
  6. Spread the filling evenly. Lift one long edge of the cloth to roll the dough into a tight log.
  7. Coil the log into 2 greased loaf pans in an S-shape. Rise another 30 minutes.
  8. Bake at 350F (175C) for 45 minutes until deeply golden. Cool completely before slicing.

Tip from the editors. The dough must be rolled until you can read newsprint through it; that's the secret to the swirled cross-section. Use a clean tablecloth for the rolling and lifting.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat povitica

Povitica in Kansas City

Strawberry Hill Povitica ★ 4.5

strawberry-hillMon-Sat 9:00 to 17:00

Strawberry Hill Baking Company in suburban Kansas City has carried the Croatian sweet-bread povitica since 1903, with the Merriam facility producing up to 7,000 loaves daily.

Tip: Buy povitica gift loaves around Christmas; the bakery ships nationwide.

7226 W Frontage Rd, Merriam, KS 66203

More cities are in research. Want povitica covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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