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Pinca
Easter sweet bread
Pinca: Croatian Easter sweet bread from Dalmatia and Istria with a three-point cut
Pinca (or sirnica in Dubrovnik) is the Easter bread of Dalmatia and Istria in Croatia. It is a tall, golden round of rich yeast dough with egg yolks, butter, lemon and orange zest and vanilla, cut with three slashes on top before baking so it opens into a three-pointed cross. It is blessed at church on Holy Saturday with the Easter eggs and ham, and eaten at Easter breakfast. Old recipes add a spoon of rum or prošek wine; this one doesn't. Chef's tip: let the dough rise slowly, even overnight in the fridge, as pinca gets its tender, fragrant crumb from a long rise.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- ¾ cup milklukewarm
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 2 ⅞ oz buttermelted
- 1 lemonzest only
- 1 orangezest only
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 eggbeaten
- 1 tbsp pearl or coarse sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 3 ½ oz caster sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 lemon and 1 orange. Add ¾ cup milk, 4 egg yolks, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 ⅞ oz butter and knead for 10 minutes to a soft, smooth, slightly sticky dough.
10 minStep 2: Cover and leave in a warm place for 2 hours, or in the fridge overnight, until doubled.
Step 3: Divide into 2 and shape each into a tight round. Set on lined trays, cover and leave for 1 hour, until puffy.
Step 4: Brush with 1 egg. With scissors, cut three deep slits from the centre outwards to make a three-pointed star, then sprinkle with 1 tbsp pearl or coarse sugar.
Step 5: Bake at 350°F (300°F fan) for 35–40 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding underneath. A common mistake is a hot oven: the sugary dough darkens long before the middle is baked.
38 minStep 6: Cool on a rack before slicing.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pinca take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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Perfect for:Easter