Traditional Easter Gubana
- Prep Time: 180
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 - 12
- Category: a little effort; Breads; Easter; Italian
Description
Gubana is a traditional Italian Easter bread, it’s a type of brioche filled with dried fruit and nuts
Ingredients
Filling
½ C (75 g) sultanas, finely chopped
½ C (75 g) dried apricots
¼ C orange peel
½ C (75 g) pitted prunes
½ C (125 ml) Grappa
1 C (100 g) walnuts, chopped
½ C (100 g) flaked almonds
2 tsp (10 ml) Amaretto
¼ C candied ginger
¼ C (25 g) pine nuts
1 Tbsp butter, melted
½ tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon
½ tsp (2.5 ml) nutmeg
½ tsp (2.5 ml) all spice
¼ C (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
Dough
3 1/2 tsp (17.5 ml) active dry yeast
1/3 C sugar
1/2 C (125 ml) warm water
2 2/3 C flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk
4 Tbsp butter, diced and softened
1 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
1 tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
1 Tbsp (15 ml) Grappa
To glaze the Gubana
1 egg, whisked
sugar, for sprinkling
To Serve
Grappa for your guests (for dipping)
Instructions
Filling
Place the sultanas, dried apricots, orange peel and prunes in a large bowl. Add the grappa and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Blend the walnuts and almonds in a food processor. Add the sultanas and dried fruit, Amaretto, ginger, pine nuts, melted butter, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and finally, the cocoa powder and blend to a dark paste. Set aside.
Dough
Place the yeast into a small bowl, add the warm water and allow the yeast to dissolve. Leave for about 10 minutes until it starts to foam. Add the sugar leave for a further 5 minutes.
Place all of the ingredients for the dough in a mixer with the hook attachment and knead for 10 minutes, adding more flour when it starts to stick to the edge of the bowl.
Remove from the bowl and knead for a further 5 minutes by hand. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Form a smooth ball and place into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 1½ hours.
Once the dough has doubled in size, roll out on a floured surface to a rectangle of approx 50×30 cm.
To make the Gubana
Preheat the oven to 180 ºC.
Spread the filling over the dough, making sure that it is evenly spread.
Start on the long length side of the dough and roll the dough into a long snake-like roll.
Place on a silicon/baking paper-lined tray seam side down and form the roll into a spiral shape. Cover with a damp towel and leave to rise for a further 30 minutes.
Brush the gubana gently with the egg and then sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with Grappa, for dipping.
