Povitica, Slovenian Nut Roll

Preheat oven to 180°C

For the dough

1. Warm the milk.

2. Stir sugar, salt and butter into hot milk; cool to lukewarm.

3. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve. Stir it in to the lukewarm milk mixture.

4. Add 2 eggs and 2 1/2 cups flour to the mixture; beat at high speed with electric mixer. With a wooden spoon gradually beat in remaining 2 cups flour.

5. Knead by hand until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl.

6. Place dough in lightly greased large bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise in warm place free of drafts, until it doubles in bulk (about 1 hour).

For the nut filling

1. Beat the eggs slightly in a medium sized bowl. Add nuts, brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir well to blend.

Putting them together

1.  Punch down the dough and then turn it out on a lightly floured surface and cover with the bowl to rest for 10 minutes.

2. Roll out to a rectangle 30 inches long by 20 inches wide.

3. Spread the filling over the dough leaving 1 inch around the edge; and starting from the wide side roll it up tightly, as you would for a jelly roll. Roll it back and forth genlty with your palms so that the nut filling spreads out evenly all over.

4. Place the toleld dough on a baking sheet seam side down. Let it rise in warm place (85 F), covered with towel, free from drafts, until it doubles in bulk (about 1 hour). 

5. Brush the roll with the melted butter. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until golden.

6. Cool on wire rack. Slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick. Makes a 4 pound loaf.