Buckwheat potica - Ajdnek

Ajdnek is a precious version of a regular buckwheat cake as potica with walnuts and honey, which gained in reputation during the last decades. It was one of the first desserts prepared in the upper Savinjska valley. Local custom was to prepare it for Christmas, Easter and All Saints Day, as well as for other important holidays.

Recipe

Dough:

50 dag buckwheat flour

30 dag wheat flour

7,5 dl boiling water

Salt

1 dl warm milk, 1 tsp sugar, 4 g yeast – for rising yeast

Field of Buckwheat. Photo:Tamino Petelinšek/STA
Buckwheat often appears on Slovenian menus. Photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA

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Filling:

50 dag ground walnuts

3 dl honey

5 dl lukewarm milk for the topping

Powdered sugar

Buckwheat is excellent for the preparation of main dishes, side dishes and desserts. Photo:4kodiak-GettyImages/GuliverFilm&Foto

Preparation:

Prepare the yeast: heat the milk, add the yeast and sugar, and let it rise.
Pour the boiling water over the buckwheat flour and stir.
When cooled add wheat flour, yeast and salt.
Knead a fluffy dough.
In the meantime, mix the walnuts with lukewarm honey.
Pour one third of the dough into a baking pan, sprinkle with the walnuts, and repeat two more layers.
The top layer should be the dough, pour the milk over it.
Leave to rise again for 20 min, pierce gently with a fork several times then bake in the oven at 180 degrees for about 40 min.
When done, sprinkle with the powdered sugar.

Ajdnek Photo:Kuhna pa to archives
Ajdnek Photo: Kuhna pa to archives