Gubana is one of the most famous pastries of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia culinary tradition. Rich in flavors and spicy aromas, it is especially suitable for the autumn season.
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INGREDIENTS |
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Flour |
400 |
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g |
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Sugar |
300 |
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g |
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Egg yolks |
4 |
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Eggs |
1 |
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Butter |
100 |
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g |
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Beer yeast |
15 |
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g |
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Milk |
1 |
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glass |
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Grated orange zest |
1 |
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Grated lemon zest |
1 |
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Rum |
1 |
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shot glass |
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Salt |
To taste |
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Raisins |
100 |
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g |
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Husked walnuts |
100 |
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g |
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Peeled almonds |
100 |
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g |
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Candied citron and orange zest |
20 |
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g |
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Pine nuts |
20 |
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g |
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Dry figs |
3 |
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Nutmeg |
To taste |
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Cinnamon |
To taste |
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Dry cookies |
25 |
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g |
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Grappa |
1 |
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shot glass |
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PREPARATION |
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| 1. |
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To prepare the dough, dissolve the beer yeast together with 3-4 tablespoons of flour in a little milk that has been warmed until you have a smooth, creamy batter. Cover the batter with a dishtowel and let it rise until it has doubled in volume (about 20 minutes). |
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| 2. |
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Melt the butter in a double-boiler. Whip the whites of the eggs into stiff peaks.
On a cutting board or working surface make a hollowed mound of flour and put the risen batter in the center. Add the butter, sugar, 2 egg yolks, the whipped egg whites, the grated lemon and orange zest and a pinch of salt. Add enough warm milk to obtain a smooth, creamy dough that's not too dry. Knead well and then leave it to rise for about 1 hour in a bowl covered with a dishtowel and well away from draughts. |
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| 3. |
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In the meantime, prepare the filling: wash the raisins and revive them by soaking them in a bowl of grappa. |
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| 4. |
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Finely chop the whole walnuts, the almonds, the candied fruits and dried figs. Crumble the cookies and mix the ingredients for the filling in a bowl. Drain the raisins and squeeze out the grappa, which you set aside. Add the raisins to the filling and also add the pine nuts, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, 20 g of butter melted in a double-boiler and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Stir and blend the filling very well, mixing in some of the grappa you already used for soaking the raisins. |
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| 5. |
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When the dough has risen, add the two remaining egg yolks and the rum and once again knead thoroughly. Then roll the dough out fairly thinly and spread the filling over it evenly. Roll up the dough, pressing the ends together to seal the roll and then coil it into the characteristic spiral shape of the classic gubana; place it on a baking sheet, the bottom of which has been covered with oiled paper, and leave it to rise once more for approximately 30-40 minutes, covering it with a dishtowel. Brush the surface of the pastry with beaten egg yolk and then sprinkle it with sugar. Pop it into a pre-heated oven and bake it at 190° for about 50 minutes. |
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CHEF'S NOTE |
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When calculating the preparation time, don't forget to include the time required for the dough to rise, about 2 hours all together. The filling for the Gubana can be made in different ways. Many cooks also add bitter cocoa, chopped dried prunes and amaretti cookies. |
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This traditional pastry from the eastern part of Friuli-Venezia Giulia can be accompanied by wines from the same region, such as a Picolit or a Verduzzo, and it's also delicious with a hearty grappa, ideally, also from Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. |
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