Croatian Povitica

Instructions

Prepping the dough

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, yeast in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add all the wet ingredients (egg, butter, milk and vanilla). Stir to combine.
2. If using an electric mixer, use the paddle or bread kneading attachment and mix on medium speed until you get a soft, smooth dough that springs back when pressed. If doing this by hand, tip the sticky batter onto a clean workspace, and knead with your fingers, pulling and stretching the wet dough until you get a soft, smooth dough,
3. Rub some oil in a clean large bowl, and place the smooth dough. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour.

Prep the filling

1. In a food processor, blitz the walnuts, cocoa and sugar until you end up with a sand-like gritty mixture. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, milk, vanilla and egg yolk. Set aside.

Rolling the dough

1. Lay a clean bed sheet or large cloth on the work surface. Cover it with cling film.
2. Transfer the risen dough onto the cling film surface.
3. Roll out the dough into a rough rectangle about 20" x 12"
4. Using a pastry brush, spread the 15g melted butter over the rolled out dough evenly.
5. Use your fingers and stretch the dough into a rectangle about 40" x 24". If it rips, pinch it together. Stretch it till you can see the bed sheet underneath in places.

Filling and rolling the dough

1. Mixing wet and dry ingredients of the filling and spread over the stretched dough.
2. Lift the bed sheet at one end and tip it so that the dough rolls itself. Alternatively, use your hands to roll the filled dough like a swiss-roll.

Into the tin it goes

1. Rub a little oil on the insides of a loaf tin (approx measuring 19x12x9cm).
2. Lay the rolled dough into the tin, going around once at the base in a \'U\', then piling the loop again on top. Tuck the open end in.
3. Cover with a large plastic bag and let it rise in a warm space for an hour.

Bake!

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F.
2. Brush the risen loaf with egg wash.
3. Bake at 180°C/ 350°F for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce temperature to 150°C/300°F and continue baking for 45 minutes. If the loaf starts to darken on the top, cover with foil.
5. Remove from the oven and let the loaf cool within the tin over a wire rack for about 30 minutes.

Icing the bread: (optional)

1. Mix a little water with the icing sugar to get a smooth, runny paste.
2. Turn out the loaf from the tin.
3. Drizzle over the loaf, slice and serve after the icing sets hard.