Pinca

Continued from our Easter Bread Series:

Pinca (Croatian Easter Bread)

1 cup milk, lukewarm
1 packages active dry yeast
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup dark rum

1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs

1 tbsp orange zest

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

3 tbsp dark rum

In a saute pan, combine rum and raisins over medium-low heat.  Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the raisins have softened.  

Combine milk, yeast and 2 tbsp. sugar to a bowl.  Allow mixture to proof and look for small bubbles forming.

In a large mixer, combine butter, salt and the rest of the sugar until light and fluffy.  Alternate adding the flour and yeast mixtures in small increments, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Stir in orange zest, lemon zest and vanilla extract.  Add raisins.

Knead dough into a ball.  Place each loaf in a greased container covered with a towel.  Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch dough down and cut dough into two halves.  Let rise an additional hour.

Place each dough half onto a greased cookie sheet. 

Preheat oven 325F.  

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

In a saute pan, combine rum, sugar and water and bring to a boil.  Completely dissolve the sugar to form a simple syrup.  Pour over the loaves of bread before serving.