Category Archives: Potica Bread

Unique Ideas For Your Next Brunch

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A group of friends enjoying a brunch buffet

Who doesn’t love a good brunch? Hosting a brunch is a great way to celebrate an event or spend time with those important to us. One of the most important aspects of brunch is the menu- after all, it is the star of the show!

It can be stressful to think of what to serve, especially if you’re trying to avoid repeating the well-known brunch dishes. We’re here to help with some unique and utterly delicious brunch ideas! Whether your next brunch is for one person or one hundred people (we can’t say we recommend that!), these ideas are sure to be a hit.

Have Sweet and Savory Options

Having sweet and savory options makes for a diverse plate and ensures everyone is happy. However, not everyone wants pancakes or parfaits! For sweet options, we always recommend our potica and fruit cake. Not only are they fantastic on their own, but they’re great topped with butter or whipped cream- or even transformed into our fruit cake French toast!

For savory options, we recommend leaning more into the ‘lunch’ aspect of brunch. Rather than overloading on potatoes, try using wild rice as a side! The nutty and earthy flavors make it a perfect base for many recipes like mushroom risotto or breakfast fried rice!

Have a Coffee Bar

Rather than getting up to pour everyone coffee, make a designated coffee area. After you set up any coffee or espresso machines, set out any mugs, milk, syrups, sugar, and anything that you know your guests will love. To take it a step further, include biscotti! The crunchy treat goes hand-in-hand with coffee and espresso alike. Plus- who doesn’t love a treat with their drink?

Make Gift Bags

A great way to ensure a memorable brunch is to make small goodie bags that people can grab on their way out. Especially if you order from a historical and unique bakery; after all, everyone deserves to experience all that the Italian Bakery of Virginia has to offer more than once! Everyone is sure to appreciate your thoughtfulness and thoroughly enjoy each delight.

If you’re now excitedly planning your next brunch, you’re in luck. At the Italian Bakery of Virginia, we ship all of our goods to you! To place your order for any of our handmade products, visit us online or call us at 218-741-7218!

All About Potica!

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Two slices of fresh potica on a clear plate

Potica (Pronounced: poh-teet-sah) is a sweet, nutty bread with a unique, meticulous way of being prepared.

Potica used to be reserved for special occasions due to its intensive recipe. However, at the Italian Bakery of Virginia, we have been perfecting our craft with our authentic traditional recipe since 1965.

Unfortunately, many people do not know of this wonderful treat, or have yet to try it! For the curious who want to know more, below are the two most common questions, besides “where can I buy some?”!

How Is It Made?

Due to the fact that potica has to be hand-rolled, pulled and stretched, using a rolling machine is not an option. After rolling, the dough covers a large kitchen table, where it is ready for the special mix of fillings- and at the Italian Bakery of Virginia, ours contains no preservatives.

It is then shaped and baked!

What Does It Taste Like?

Potica is a wonderfully nutty bread! The filling is made with ground walnuts (we also have a walnut-raisin variety!), butter, brown sugar, vanilla and all natural spices.  This sweet and nutty filling combined with the soft dough is sure to please everyone!

Here at the Italian Bakery of Virginia, our recipe has been passed down from generation to generation, and you can truly taste the love and care put into each loaf!

There are several ways to enjoy potica; buttered, topped with ice cream, straight out of the oven…the list goes on!

We truly believe that every person should experience the warm, comforting delight of authentic potica at least once in their life! And at the Italian Bakery of Virginia, we ship all of our goods to you! To order your very own potica, or to view our other products, visit us online or call us at 218-741-7218!

History of Potica Bread

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History of Potica BreadPotica is a traditional Slovenian cake, typically served on special occasions and holidays.

Potica has been pleasing people and taste buds for centuries, serving as a main dessert dish in many celebrations.

The dough for potica takes quite some time to prepare but after it has risen, it is typically filled with either sweet or savory fillings. Common fillings include walnut, tarragon, honey and even bacon. It is created by flattening the dough, adding the ingredients, and then wrapping the dough and shaping it into a loaf. The process gives potica delicious layers that resemble a marbled cake.

Here at Italian Bakery of Virginia, our traditional potica bread is the heart of our bakery. Back in 1965, we received a traditional Slovenian family recipe for potica, and it has since become one of our most requested and best-selling cakes. We’ve added in some spices over the years to create a truly unique blended delicacy that our customers keep coming back for.

We begin the process of making potica with all-natural and fresh ingredients. Baking potica each day is a time-consuming project, as it requires the careful hands of a proficient baker. The dough is carefully hand-rolled, pulled and stretched to create a traditional potica consistency. We then add in crunchy walnuts, creamy butter, brown sugar, vanilla and a variety of other spices. The potica is then baked and sliced for serving.

Our most popular flavors are walnut and walnut-raisin. Both of these flavors honor the classic recipe of this bread, with a touch of sweetness. When potica first originated in Slovenia, the ingredients often told the story of the family baking it. Only wealthy families could afford expensive fillings such as nuts and cream and poorer families could typically only afford to include herbs from their garden.

To honor your Slovenian heritage, or to start a new tradition in your family, celebrate life’s milestones, holidays, and good fortune with fresh potica.

At the Italian Bakery of Virginia, we’ve ensured that the time-honored art of making potica has not been lost. Visit our website here.