At holiday celebrations in my family, especially at Easter, Slovenian potica is always on the lace-covered dining tables. The aunt, niece or cousin who made it watches proudly as the slices of the traditional nut roll disappear.

	Slovenian nut roll, known as potica, is an Old World tradition.(Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette)

When Slovenian heritage families are far-flung, the potica travels by airmail. This year, mine will go to Seattle, Chicago and London. Making potica is part of who I am.

But is it still part of Slovenian tradition? Sociologist Mirjam Milharcic-Hladnik, Ph.D., is a researcher for the Institute for Slovenian Emigration Studies in Ljubljana, Slovenia. She has been in the United States videotaping oral histories from second- and third-generation Slovenian women for her project: "The Role and Impact of Women in Preserving the Cultural Heritage Among Slovenian Immigrants and Their Descendants in the USA." The documentary will air next year on Slovenian public television.

She recorded more than 75 life stories. In Pittsburgh, she interviewed Susan Kellen of Braddock, Maryann Bebar of Greensburg, Rose Marie Lawrence of Strabane, Wilma Martincic of Canonsburg and me.

"Potica is still regarded as a very traditional Slovenian thing," says Milharcic-Hladnik.

"It is especially important at the main holidays and special events such as weddings and anniversaries. It is valued no matter if you like it or not. My mother makes an authentic recipe from the Primorska region, and it is probably 100 years old. It is not too rich in ingredients because they were poor people. Her potica doesn't have many, many layers of filling, only a few wider ones and a lot of dough in between."

We modeled our version after hers.

Hints for success

Making potica isn't hard, but you have to keep an eye on the process, so choose a baking day when you will be mostly at home. Here are some tips:

"Large eggs" refers to the size printed on the box. It does not mean those marked "extra-large" or "jumbo."

Nuts can be ground in a meat grinder or pulsed to a meal in the food processor.

Some people consider adding cinnamon and raisins or currants heresy. Our family likes it with, rather than without. Other cooks add bread crumbs, lemon zest, rum and heavy or sour cream. Each family's idiosyncrasies rule the cook.

Know that the weather will determine the amount of flour used.

All-purpose flour is preferred. Bread flour will make the dough harder to roll and make a higher loaf.

The crust may be brushed with melted butter before and after baking to keep it soft. Some brush the loaves with egg wash just before putting them into the oven so that the crust will be dark brown.

Ovens differ and baking times will vary.

The finished rolls will be dense and sweet.

Potica partners well with ham or klobase (kielbasa to you "foreigners").

SLOVENIAN POTICA

This recipe follows an Old World formula but uses up-to-date equipment for ease of preparation.

• Dough:
  
• 1 cup whole milk
  
• 1/3 cup honey
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 1/4 cup warm water
  
• 2 packages dry yeast
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
  
• Unsalted butter to brush on the crust
  
• Filling:
  
• 3 tablespoons dried currants
  
• 1 teaspoon rum
  
• 4 cups (1 pound) finely ground; walnuts
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Make the dough: Heat milk in a small saucepan until hot, not boiling. Stir in honey, salt and butter; the butter will melt. Cool to lukewarm. Run a large bowl under hot water, drain it and dry. Into the warmed bowl, add 1/4 cup warm water. Sprinkle dry yeast over the surface of the water; sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over the surface of the yeast. With a rubber spatula, stir just to mix. Allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes. The mixture will become creamy and begin to foam. Stir the lukewarm milk mixture into the yeast in the large bowl. Add 2 eggs and 2/2 cups flour. With a hand-held electric beater, beat the batter on medium speed for 2 minutes. Remove the beaters and clean them of batter. Gradually add in the remaining flour, and mix with a wooden spoon until dough forms and comes together. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 8 minutes or until it becomes smooth and satiny. Wash the bowl and lightly grease it. Put in the ball of dough, turning to coat with a film of fat to prevent a skin from forming. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 2 hours.

Make the filling: Place the currants in a small dish and add the rum. Stir and allow to soak. Put the nuts through a meat grinder or whirl to a meal in the food processor. Transfer to a large bowl and add the eggs, sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and soaked currants.

Make the nut roll: Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Cover with bowl and let rest 10 minutes. Roll out into a rectangle 20 by 30 inches. Halfway through the rolling, pause for 5 minutes to allow the dough to rest. (This makes it easier to roll.) Using a soup spoon, drop blobs of filling 2 inches apart on the dough. Then, with a metal spatula, smear the filling evenly over the dough. Starting from the wide end and rolling towards yourself, roll up gently but tightly as for jellyroll. Seal by pinching edges with fingers. Cut into sections (see below). Turn into loaf pans that have the bottoms lined with parchment or waxed paper or shape as suggested below.

Let rolls rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until almost doubled in bulk. Brush loaves with melted butter for a soft crust. Poke the tops of the loaves with a cake tester or toothpick to eliminate an air hole between the top layers. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven about 40 to 60 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks for 5 minutes, then turn out of pans and allow to cool on a rack.

To shape: The long 30-inch roll can be divided into many shapes.

5 disposable metal foil loaf pans, 8 by 4 inches

4 disposable metal foil loaf pans, 8 by 4 inches

4 bread or pate pans, 9 by 3 inches

Shape long roll into a horseshoe, or cut rolls into any size and place on baking sheets. Cut slices of potica will have an oval shape.

Crazy loaf: Divide the long roll into 3 sections. Cut EACH section into 3 equal pieces and place CUT SIDE UP in a bread pan. Makes a loaf with an unusual texture.

For buns, cut into 1-inch slices and place in cake or other baking pans. Do not crowd. Makes 3 or 4 pans depending on sizes. Drizzle with confectioners' sugar glaze.

Make them all: 1 small loaf, one crazy loaf, one big pan of buns from one recipe.