Pinca is traditional Croatian Easter bread – but can be eaten all year round.
Pinca is a sweet bread served as a part of a traditional Easter meal in Croatia. It’s very popular along the coastal regions of Croatia, although it can be found all over the country. In Zagorje, it’s called “Jajara,” in Dalmatia “Sirnica,” and in other parts, it is simply “pinca.”
It originates from the Venetian Republic, where it was reserved only for wealthy people during the holidays, who could eat it 2-3 times per year. Now you can even buy pinca in shops or at home with ease with the recipe below.
The main character is a dough that has a vibrant yellow color from the fresh farm eggs. This recipe is rich in flavor because we’ve added raisins soaked in rum, lemon, or orange zest. You can use other kinds of dried fruit and vanilla sugar.
Sirnica is usually shaped like a small ball with a cut on the top in the shape of a cross as it symbolizes the suffering of Christ.
At this time of year, you can find it in most bakeries and supermarkets across Croatia. My Aunts make a wonderful Sirnica every year for us all to enjoy on Easter day, so maybe you could give this recipe a go for your family to enjoy on Easter day as well.
Croatian Easter Bread Recipe (Sirnica or Pinca)
Sirnica is a traditional Croatian Easter Bread - here is an easy to follow recipe to make it at home.
Ingredients
- 300 g all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 7 g dried yeast (2 teaspoons)
- 75 g sugar (1/3 cup)
- 5 g vanilla sugar (1 teaspoons)
- 35 ml sunflower oil (2.5 tablespoons)
- 125 ml milk (1/2 cup)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 50 g raisins (1/3 cup)
- Pinch of salt
- 3-4 tablespoons rum
Instructions
- Soak the raisins in the rum for one hour
- Mix together flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt in one bigger bowl
- Activate the yeast with some warm milk and one teaspoon of sugar. It will become bubbly in around 5 minutes
- Now combine the dried ingredients with the rest of the warm milk, oil, lemon zest, egg yolks, and yeast mixture
- Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes with your mixer on low speed or with your hands
- Cover the dough and let it rest on a warm place for one hour until it doubles its size
- Remove the excess rum from the raisins and add them to the dough together with some melted butter
- Now you need to knead the again in the same way for another ten minutes
- Transfer the dough to the baking tray, shape it in a ball
- Brush the pinca with a mixed egg yolk and some sugar. Sugar is optional because it will make your pinca a bit darker as it will caramelize
- Cut the dough with a knife or scissors to make a "cross sign" on the top
- Bake it in a warm oven for 30-35 minutes at 180°C (350°F). If you have dusted it with some sugar, after 20 minutes, you can cover it with paper or aluminum foil, so it doesn't get too dark
- When it's baked, cover it with a clean kitchen cloth and let it cool down. Keep the pinca in a bag, so it remains soft for a couple of days
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Will make this Easter bread for sure. Living in Korcula.
Better than chocolate? Wow
My Grandmother made something similar to this, except a savory version we use dry cottage cheese, egg, sauteed onion and plenty of black pepper. We have always called this bread sirnica and had it on Christmas Eve. She cheated and used frozen bread loaves for the dough. We grew up in the Pittsburgh area of Pa. Have you heard of this recipe or version before. I have done other searches and can not find anything similar. It maybe just a family recipe. Thanks for any help you may be able to give.
Google “Sirnica s mladim lukom’ or ‘Sirnica s lukom’ – you’ll find some that may be it. Good luck.
I went to Pinterest to get the recipe I pinned a couple years ago, but this post from March 25, 2019 appears. This recipe is different. What happened to the old recipe? My family loved the version without raisins that you posted before. Can you please repost the original?
Thank you.
Oh sorry, I deleted it. It was given to me by a reader, and people had questions about it, and I did not know how to answer them.
If you’re from Slavonia could you please post a Kulen recipe..?
Where I come from we call it Kuglof.
Again, sirnica is Dalmatian. Wonder why as no cheese in involved? I guess they name sirnica whenever they lack a term HA!
:-) Just kidding!
a nice blog post, and I shared it with my family.