Sweet bread, called Sirnica or Pinca, is traditionally baked in Croatia during Easter. There are several versions of Pinca, but this is my favorite. I used candied orange peel, but it can be combined with lemon peel and raisins.
Ingredients for Easter Bread Pinca:
- Half a dice of fresh yeast (21 grams) or small bag of dry yeast (7 grams)
- 4 eggs
- 100 g of sugar
- 100 ml of milk
- 500 g of flour
- pinch of salt
- 50 g of butter
- 100 g of candied orange peel (dices)
- peeled and chopped almonds for garnishing and powdered sugar
Preparation:
- Crush with your hands half a cube of fresh yeast and pour over warm milk. Add a teaspoon of sugar and some flour. Stir the mixture and let the yeast rise (approx 10 min).
- Mix well 3 eggs and sugar, and add 100 ml of warm milk.
- In a 500 g of flour, add a pinch of salt, then pour in the egg and yeast mixture and mix it all together. Finally, add the softened butter and knead with your hands.
- Leave the dough in a warm place to rise.
- After about an hour, when the mixture has doubled, mix it again, but this time add the orange peel (leave a little for later, to spread).
- Again let it rise for about an hour, then knead the dough on a table (with little bit of flour) and knit it into the braid.
- Grease the round baking pan with butter and sprinkle with flour, then arrange the braid in a circle.
- Finally, coat it with an egg and sprinkle with almonds and the rest of the orange peel.
- Bake at 180 ° C (356°F) for about 40 minutes.
Serving:
Before serving, sprinkle the Pinca with powdered sugar.
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