The most popular Dalmatian cakes may differ depending on who you ask and in which part of Croatia, but for this one, which is our topic, everyone will agree that it is at the top in terms of popularity. Of course, it does not lag in taste either.

Spring is almost at the door and preparations for Easter will soon begin. It is an ideal opportunity to get acquainted with the dessert traditionally prepared for Easter, which is in some way a symbol of the Easter holiday table.

The preparation of this sweet is not too demanding, and you will certainly have fun making it, so at the end, we will present you with a traditional recipe. Considering that it is dough, children can also help you in the preparation, which will be a particularly fun new experience for them.

History of Most popular Dalmatian cakes

In the past, life in Dalmatia was much more modest than today, and many foods were either rare or difficult to find, and mostly very expensive. Small things that we consider common today, such as eggs and sugar, were used only for more festive occasions, so it is not surprising that many traditional cakes are associated with holiday tables. Most of them are tied for Christmas, some for weddings, and arnica is tied for Easter. Like a lot of delicious delicacies, sirnica also traces its origins to the Republic of Venice, where its preparation began and from where it came to our region.

In the Republic of Venice, yeast dough also appeared. Today it is prepared in all parts of Croatia.

Where does the name sirnica come from?

Translated from Croatian, sirnica would mean something with cheese in it (sir = cheese). However, this is not exactly the case, because cheese does not go in any combination in this cake. It is believed that in the beginning of preparation for its preparation, curdled dough was used instead of yeast, so that this Dalmatian name originates from there. In other parts of Croatia by the sea, it is called pinca, which refers to a name similar to the name for a loaf of bread, and in continental Croatia it is Easter bread, scones, sweet bread or eggnog because it contains a lot of eggs.

How to make sirnica?

The preparation of sirnica is actually very simple, although in order for everything to be successful, a lot of attention is needed, and experienced cooks say that everyone has their own little secret. Recipes may vary with some ingredients or procedure, but the result is always the same – fragrant and tasty. Here is a recipe that you should not go wrong with:

Ingridients:

1 kg flour

25 dag butter- (grated orange and lemon peel – optional)

25 dag sugar

1 little spoon salt

8 eggs

2 dl warm milk

1 spoon sugar

2 cubes of fresh yeast

2 vanilla sugar

Mix yeast, warm milk, one teaspoon of sugar and a little flour in a bowl and leave in a warm place for about 15 minutes. In a bowl with flour, add melted butter, sugar, egg yolks, 2 eggs, vanilla sugar, salt and yeast. Knead the dough well, cover and leave it in a warm place to soak, cover with a cloth for at least 8-10 hours or overnight.

Divide the risen dough into 2 to 3 parts, depending on the size of the you want. Place each piece separately on baking paper and let it rise again. After a few hours, brush with a beaten egg, make three deep cuts on each one, from the top from the middle down in three directions and sprinkle with coarsely crushed sugar cubes and place in a heated oven at 180°C for about 30 minutes.