Sirnica recipe: The traditional Croatian Easter sweet bread

Croatians like to keep traditions and having certain foods for certain festivities is one of them. 

Easter is around the corner which means it is time for Sirnica, or Pinca as it is known by in some parts of the country. Sirnica is a traditional sweet bread prepared during the Easter period. Initially a Dalmatian tradition, it has spread and is popular all over Croatia today.

You can buy them in the shops around Easter but nothing better than homemade.

Check out the recipe below. 

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour – 1 kg
Yeast – 40 g
Butter – 200 g
Sugar – 200 g
Vanilla sugar – 10 g
Egg yolks – 6
Milk – 500 ml
Lemon – zest
Orange – zest
Rum – shot
Rakija (fruit brandy)- shot
Salt

Instructions:

1. Warm a little bit of warm milk (100 ml) and pour into a bowl. Add a teaspoon of sugar, flour, and the yeast. Stir and set aside for 15 minutes to rise.

2. Pour that into a bigger bowl and add the rest of the flour and mix. Keep beating and add milk, melted butter, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt.

3. Add the rum, rakija, grated lemon and orange skin and then mix again. Mix well to produce a firm dough until the surface becomes smooth. Put the dough in a floured bowl, cover with a cloth and let it rise at least 8-10 hours or overnight.

4. Place the dough onto a floured board and cut into 3 even pieces. Shape them into round balls and place individually on a baking sheet and leave again to rise.

5. Brush with egg yolk, and crush a cube of sugar and sprinkle over the top. Make 3 deep cuts (from centre to edge).

6. Put in heated over on 200°C for 30 minutes.