April 20, 2019 - Pinca is a traditional Dalmatian, Istrian and Boka Bay Easter sweet roll. It is also popular in the Goriška region of Slovenia, the Slovenian Littoral, and western Croatia and parts of the Province of Trieste and Gorizia of Italy.
Pinca is eaten to celebrate the end of Lent because it contains many eggs. Together with Easter eggs, Pinca has remained the centrepiece of the family Easter breakfast in the mentioned areas. These days you can buy Pinca, or as Italians call it Panettone, in every well-supplied supermarket. But, why not try to make it yourself?
The recipe for this traditional Easter sweet is always the same; its flavour depends more and less in spices added into at the same time simple and demanding-to-prepare dough. Orange rind, vanilla sugar, rum, various liqueurs, dried grapes - there are different smells you could add to your Easter bread.
Bokelian and Pinca prepared in the Dubrovnik area smell of orange and rum. Let's see how to make it.
Pinca - What do you need and how do you prepare it?
Ingredients: 1kg flour, eight egg yolks, 250 g crystallised sugar, 200 g butter, three packages fresh yeast, two dl rum, 50 g organic orange rind, one packet of vanilla sugar, 1.5 dl milk, 20 g salt
Preparation: Put the egg yolks into a bowl and add crystallised sugar, vanilla sugar, orange rind, and salt and stir well until the mixture forms into foam and the sugar has melted. In a separate container dissolve the yeast with a little warm milk, a spoonful of sugar, and some flour and allow it to rise. When the yeast has risen, pour the liquid into the mixture with the egg yolks. Blend well, adding flour, rum, and the rest of the milk. Mix the dough well until it becomes severe and easily separates from the mixing bowl or cutting board.
Cover the bowl with the dough with a clean cloth and leave it to rise in a warm place to grow slowly. When the dough has risen and doubled in volume, knead well, and shape the Pinca. Form each piece of the mass into a ball of the desired weight and size. Place the Pinca on an oiled baking sheet (or parchment paper), cover with a clean cloth, and leave to rise once more.
Cover the outside of the raised Pinca with egg yolk, sprinkle with crystallised sugar, and make three cuts into the top.
Bake the Pinca at a temperature of 170 to 190°C for 30 to 40 minutes, making sure that the surface does not darken. The finished Pinca bread should have a beautiful rosy colour, and an aromatic, full-bodied, and juicy content.
Source: www.tzdubrovnik.hr
