Dalmatian Easter bread | Sirnica / Pinca

Well, what can I tell you? This is the fourth or fifth year I have tried making a Sirnica or Pinca (depending on what part of Croatia you're in) and again it hasn't turned out the fluffy, airy Easter bread that by all Instagram accounts (of much better bakers than me) it should be. Traditionally this bread is taken to Easter mass to take part in the food blessing ritual. You take a basket filled with goodies including this hunk of dough and then everything is taken home and eaten for an Easter breakfast/brunch (this is my favourite Easter meal of all!) The cross carved into the centre represents the resurrection and I've always loved the crushed sugar cubes decoration. 

This is the first year that I used fresh yeast because there was no instant yeast left in the supermarkets that I tried (thank you covid-19) and it worked wonderfully. It frothed, foamed and bubbled up, I thought this bread is going to be amazing and yet it is still quite hard. BUT!! It is delicious to eat (when it first comes out of the oven). Anyway, regardless of how long this bread takes me to master, I will be baking it every Easter for the rest of my life! And even though there are no Easter masses this year (again, thank you covid-19), you can still make it to enjoy, or just stare at it over the Easter table. But I thought I'd share this recipe anyway because maybe it's my oven or something? And for you it may work out beautifully, let me know.

Let me know if you tried this Easter bread (if it worked for you??) and what you thought?

Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let's live!)