Slovenian Nut Potica

Ingredients - Dough:

• 2 cakes of yeast
• ½ cup lukewarm milk
• 1 TBS white sugar
• 6 cups all purpose flour (may require up to 7 cups)
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1cup slightly scalded milk
• 4 egg yolks beaten
• 2 whole eggs beaten
• ½ cup softened, unsalted butter

Ingredients - Filling:

• ½ pint sweet cream
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup honey
• 2 pounds finally ground walnuts
• 1 tsp. Grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 egg whites - stiffly beaten
• 1 ¾ cups white sugar

• Crumble yeast into lukewarm milk and 1 TBS. Sugar.(This will "feed" the yeast and activate it)
• Stir and then set aside until it starts to rise and gets foamy.
• Sift flour, sugar and salt into a bowl, making a well in the center of the mixture.
• Add the scalded milk and mix.
• When you are sure the milk is cool,add beaten egg yolks, whole eggs, butter and yeast.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is no longer sticky.
• Add extra flour slowly as needed.
• Form into loose ball and place in greased bowl.
• Cover and put in warm place until it doubles in size. (about an hour or two)

• Scald sweet cream, butter, and honey together and pour over ground nuts.
• Mix in lemon peel, vanilla and salt.
• Gently fold in the eggs and sour cream.
• Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
• Add sugar and mix completely, but gently.
• Set aside.

• Punch down risen dough and divide into 4 equal parts.
• Flour a board and take one section of dough and roll to about ¼" thickness. (It will be about 9" x 22")
• Spread nut filling on top of dough, leaving 1/2 inch plain dough on each side.
• Roll up gently as you would a jelly roll.
• Place in 9 x 5 x 3" greased bread pan
• Repeat with other sections of dough.
• Prick dough on top to prevent bubbles.
• Cover with damp (not wet)cloth and allow to raise for 45 minutes.
• Brush tops with melted butter.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake for 40 to 60 minutes.
• Let stand in pans for 10 minutes.
• Cool completely on cooling racks. .