Poteca Bread

Poteca is a sweet dessert bread with a tasty walnut and brown sugar filling.  Traditionally it is made in a roll format but I prefer to make it into a spiral loaf instead. 

1 pkg dry yeast

1 and a half cups warm water

1/2 cup good honey

1 and a half teaspoons salt (opt)

2/3 cup butter or margarine

2 eggs

1 cup lukewarm mashed potatoes( no lumps)

7 to 8 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixing bowl.

Stir in honey, butter or margarine, eggs, potatoes and 4 cups of flour.

Beat until smooth.

Add remaining flour, adding additional if necessary to make dough easy to handle, but not too dry. This is a pastry dough, the lighter it is the better.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 - 10 mins.

Place in oiled bowl ( any vegetable oil), turn greased side up. Cover tightly, let rise in refrigerator overnight (at least eight hours.

Dough will keep in refrigerator for up to seven days if kept tightly wrapped.

This batch of dough makes four loaves of Poteca, or one huge one.

4 cup very finely chopped walnuts

1 cup packed brown sugar

8 tablespoons butter or margarine, soft

4 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon extract (opt)

Roll dough into rectangle, approx 15 by 10 inches, on lightly floured surface.

Mix the walnuts, brown sugar, butter, the eggs, vanilla and lemon extract (opt). Spread mixture evenly over rectangle to within 1" of edges.

Roll up gently, like a jelly roll, beginning at one of the long sides. Moisten ends with water; pinch dough to roll to seal.

Stretch and shape until even.

(optional) Curl into snail shape, tucking end underneath.

Place Poteca seam side down on parchment paper covered or lightly buttered square baking pan.

Cover; let rise in warm place until double in bulk; about 1 and a half hours. ( Dough is ready when indentation remains when touched.)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake until Poteca is brown, 30 to 35 mins.

While warm, brush outside with butter or margarine.