Local Flavors: Strawberry Hill Baking Company’s Povitica

 

A staple on your holiday table, Strawberry Hill Povitica has been baking up comfort food for generations.

 

Photos by Anna Petrow

 

Of all Kansas City’s culinary customs, institutions, and accolades, one of the region’s most unique and flavorful delicacies has flown under-the-radar for more than 120 years. Since 1903, family-owned Strawberry Hill Baking Company has carried forward Croatian traditions, preserving flavors and techniques passed down through generations for their cult-favorite handmade, nut-filled pastry loaves known as “povitica.”

 
 

Kansas City, Kansas has a rich history of Eastern European immigrants, including the thousands of Croatians who settled in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood starting in the late 19th century, bringing with them their culinary traditions. The neighborhood became a vibrant hub of Croatian culture, and povitica—a pastry made with a thin dough layered with sweet fillings—quickly became a staple in KCK kitchens and community gatherings.

Strawberry Hill Baking Company started as a family endeavor when founders brought their treasured recipe to the United States. Owner Marc and Dennis O’Leary’s great-great grandparents originally entered the country through Ellis Island, moving to Chicago and then Kansas City’s West Bottoms before relocating to Strawberry Hill after the flood of 1903. After marrying into the family, Harley O’Leary incorporated Strawberry Hill Povitica Co. in 1984. Today, the fourth-generation family bakery is renowned for its commitment to handmade craftsmanship, using methods passed down for centuries to deliver the authentic taste of povitica.

 
 

Povitica (pronounced po-va-TEET-sa, and known in other countries as potica or kolachi) is an Eastern European dessert with a striking swirl of filling rolled into delicate layers of dough. The pastry’s history dates back hundreds of years, typically prepared for holidays and special occasions due to the hours of labor required to stretch the dough paper-thin and fold it into the characteristic shapes.

 
 

Strawberry Hill Baking Company prides itself on maintaining the authenticity of povitica. Their best-selling English walnut variety is made by folding crushed farm-fresh walnuts with butter, honey, and sugar into a thin, flaky dough. The resulting loaf is baked into its signature "S" shape, ensuring the filling-to-dough ratio stays perfectly balanced. 

The bakery has since introduced more modern flavors, including ingredients like chocolate, cream cheese, poppyseeds, fruit, and more, but the age-old techniques are still used to create povitica by hand, ensuring the ribbon-like interior in every loaf reflects its Old World roots. Each loaf is then packaged in a signature gift box and shipped nationwide, a testament to the company’s widespread appeal.

 
 

In a time where many prioritize efficiency over quality, Strawberry Hill’s povitica reminds us of the enduring value of time-honored traditions and the stories they tell. By blending old traditions with new tastes, Strawberry Hill Baking Company not only preserves a piece of Croatian culture but also celebrates it on a broader stage. Kansas Citians can stop by Strawberry Hill’s 30,000-square-foot facility in Merriam, KS, where bakers are still making up to 7,000 loaves per day.

 
 

Each slice of povitica—and even their newer cheesecake and coffee cake offerings—is a testament to the care and heritage that have defined this family bakery for more than a century. For more about the bakery, visit their website at strawberryhill.com.