Nusspotitze
From recipe dictated +/- 1970 by Hilde Rungaldier (1898-1987). Tips for novices added by John Hughes (1946-). Additional edits and notes by Xander Hughes (2001-). Makes two Potitze.
Dough
- Flour: 3 cups
- Yeast: 3 tsp
- Egg yolks: 3
- Butter: 8 tbsp
- Sugar: 1/2 cup
- Salt: 1/2 tsp
- Milk: 1/2 cup
Warm the milk in a glass, stir in the yeast to it, then allow five minutes to start the yeast. Put the flour into your largest mixing bowl. Make a hollow in the flour and put the bubbly yeast/milk into this depression. Gently flick flour over the top of the yeast/milk. Put bowl into a warm-to-the-touch oven (110-120 degrees +/-) letting the yeast work for 20-30 minutes. Then add all the other ingredients above. Mix well (it will seem dry at first) then knead by hand for as long as you can until the dough is silky smooth. Add a bit more flour if the dough sticks to your hands. It's OK to let the dough (and the hands) rest from time to time.
Note: the original recipe transcription omits a lot of detail on properly rising the dough. I've had success with two rises, one before and after shaping the roll. Adding 1 tbsp of the sugar to the milk also helps.
Filling
- Walnuts, finely ground: 3 cups
- Sugar: 2 cups
- Cinnamon: 1 1/2 tsp
- Allspice: 1/2 tsp
- Cloves: 1/3 tsp
- Lemon rind, grated: 1
- Dark rum: 4 tbsp (Mama said "the good strong flavor kind")
- Raisins: 1 cup
Mix all but the raisins well.
Note: the ground walnuts should have some texture to them; ie don't use walnut flour. Ideally they should be finely grated on a drum-style cheese grater. I've had decent success with an immersion blender and a colander, but blenders can easily turn walnuts into paste.
Rolling, filling, baking
Butter two bundt pans and sprinkle with flour.
Cut the dough into two pieces. Put on a floured surface, and roll each into a rectangular shape as thin as the dough will allow you to roll it (1/4 inch recommended). Sprinkle half of the filling mixture on it, then sprinkle half of the raisins. Press the filling and raisins into the dough gently. Roll the sheet toward you, pinching the ends together. Put into the greased pans and allow to rise in a warm oven until double original size.
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. After 20 minutes the skin will appear dark. To prevent burning cover with newspaper or paper shopping bags for the final 20 minutes.
Tip the Potitze onto a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar while still hot.