The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Help - How did they do this?

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne

Help - How did they do this?

All,

 

Well it is the catalog season and our mail box is stuffed with them.  We got one from Norm Thompson and it had a "Slovenian Potica Coffee Cake" in it.  The picture of it looks terrific but I can not figure out how they did it.  Maybe one of you know the trick.  I could not grab the image and put it here so here is the link:   http://www.normthompson.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=16969#detailsAnchor

 

Thanks for any help.  I would like to alter my cinnamon rolls to look like these.

 

Thanks, Dwayne

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

This Potica video is fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7anEmxxHpw0&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLFDEFBCED213612F8

From the looks of it, the way they get that form is to use two or more rolls of potica in a single pan.

Potica dough is rolled almost as thinly as streudel dough, so I doubt you'd be able to achieve the same effect with cinnamon roll dough, which isn't rolled as thinly. It'll look similar, but have fewer "veins" or "layers".

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne

Thomas,

Thanks for the help, I never thought to look on YouTube.  I will watch the video when I get home tonight.  When making Cinnamon Rolls I do roll it out quite thin and then stretch it even thinner as I roll it up.   I like LOTS of turns to my Cinnamon Rolls!

 

Dwayne

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne

The video was very interesting.  What they made does not look like the picture in the Norm Thompson catalog.  What I think that I will try is as follows:

1. Make my dough as I always do a roll it out very thin.

2. Add lots of chopped/ground nuts to my Cinnamon sugar mixture.

3. Roll the log (stretching it even thinner as I roll).

4. Cut the log in half lengthwise.

5.  Loosely coil the half log into a pie pan, let raise and bake.

 

I'll post pictures if it turns out well.  I'll post pictures under someone else's name if the don't.  : )

 

Dwayne

thomaschacon's picture
thomaschacon (not verified)

I kept thinking about it on and off yesterday, turning shapes over in my head that, once sliced, would look like the image in Norm Thompson catalog.

The best I can think of is that they create the roll, cut it like cinnamon rolls (~1.5" thick) and then pan them, like so:

When you cut it, it should look like Thompsons.

Or not. :\

-=-

Too late on hiding your identity if you fail. Google already has you pegged to 'potica':

pmccool's picture
pmccool

complete with shaping instructions.  Sounds like it may be similar to what you saw on the video.  There are a couple of bakeries in the KC area that produce them.  Unlike the picture you referenced, the loaves are usually baked in a standard 9x5 loaf pan.

Paul

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne

Paul,

Thanks for the recipe.  I am going to do some research on the filling.  As I outlined above I am still going to try and get close to the picture in the catalog.  I guess that I could buy one from them and then dissect it, but then it would just be more fun to experiment.  Thanks for the input.

 

Dwayne

Elagins's picture
Elagins

if you have a copy of Inside the Jewish Bakery, make the babka dough or coffee cake dough (see errata for corrections) and chill it thoroughly overnight.  Roll and/or stretch about 16-24 oz of the dough paper-thin and fill with a cinnamon and/or chocolate filling, then roll, cut and arrange per Seven Sisters recipe.  Brush with egg, bake, glaze with apricot simple syrup and drizzle with simple icing. You should end up with something pretty close.

Stan

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne

Stan,

Thanks for your ideas.  Yes, I do have my signed copy of "Inside the Jewish Bakery".  Your idea might be correct.  I've made cinnamon rolls in pie pans before, ala Seven Sisters, but I've never cut it like a pie.  It it too bad that the picture does not show a better view of the top of that coffee cake.  The Slovenian Potica is also called a Nut roll so I'll be looking in the Filling Section of ITJB for ideas (I'll probably use Walnuts).

 

While you are here may I ask a question?  (I'll do it anyway.)  I've made BearClaws using your Coffee Cake Dough (great by the way).  Why would you choose the Babka Dough over the Coffee Cake Dough?  Just trying to get a handle on the wide range of doughs used for Cinnamon Rolls and such things.

 

Thanks, Dwayne

JoeV's picture
JoeV

My twin brother is the Slovenian Potica maker in the family, and I'm the  bread baker. He uses our Mother's recipe which is available on my website at http://flyfishohio.us/dessert.htm . It's a pdf that you can print out. My brother tried several different recipes over the years, but always came back to Mom's original recipe.

This is what it's supposed to look like when properly made. notice the number of layers/rolls in each piece. Potica is about the filling, and the bread is just there to hold it together, and should not overwhelm the recipe.

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne

Joe,

 

I made Rolls a couple of days ago and used the nut filling from your recipe (I used Almonds).  I think that the filling was too wet as the egg whites did not get very stiff.  I will try this again with walnuts and I will past pictures.  Do you know about what the consistency of the nut filling should be like?

 

Thanks, Dwayne

JoeV's picture
JoeV

The filling should be the consistency of a thick paste. When scooped on a spoon and turned upside down, it should stay on the spoon for awhile. We never used almonds, but that shouldn't make that much of a difference, since the nuts are chopped. Good luck!