Gubana, a traditional nut-filled yeasted bread, hails from Fruili, in Northern Italy. Similar to babka and strudel, it delivers many of the flavor nuances that distinguish Eastern European and Slavic pastries. Copious amounts of marsala-drenched raisins, nuts and cocoa filling are rolled up in an orange-scented dough before being coiled into a round pan.
There’s no skimping with this filling. Once the dough rises, it’s in perfect proportion with the filling.
Beautifully browned and coiled like a serpent.
Traditionally made for the Easter holiday, this Italian sweet bread is scrumptious any day of the year. The perfect balance of an enriched sweet dough with a delightfully decadent filling of hazelnuts, walnuts and pine nuts, Marsala drenched raisins and a hint of cocoa. Enjoy!
| Servings |
| 1 9" (23 cm) round loaf |
|
|
- 3cups (384 g) all-purpose flourunbleached
- 1/2cup (115 g) caster sugarsee notes below *
- 2 1/4tsp (7 g) instant yeastdried
- 1/8tsp (dash) saltkosher or sea
- 1 eggroom temperature
- 1 egg yolkroom temperature
- 1tsp vanillapure extract or paste
- 7Tbs (100 g) butter unsaltedcubed + extra for greasing pan
- 1/2cup (125 g) milkwhole
- 1/2tsp orange rind / zestfinely grated - about 1 medim orange
- 1/2cup (125 ml) marsalasweet or grappa
- 1cup (135 g) raisins, seedlesscoarsely chopped
- 2/3cup (100 g) hazelnutsskinned, lightly toasted & chopped *
- 2/3cup (80 g) walnutslightly toasted & chopped *
- 1/3cup (50 g) pine nutslightly toasted *
- 3/4cup (80 g) Amaretti cookieschopped - optional *
- 2-4Tbs (20-40 g) orange rind - candied / glacediced - optional *
- 2Tbs (13 g) cocoa powderdutch process
- 1tsp cinnamon, ground
- 1/2tsp lemon zestfinely grated, about 1 medium lemon
- 1Tbs honeyorange blossom or mild flavored
- 1 eggroom temperature, lightly whisked
- Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook. Make a well in the center and set aside.
- Whisk the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and orange rind together in a separate bowl. Cover and set aside.
- Heat the butter just until melted in a small saucepan. Add the milk and heat to 115 °F (46 °C). Remove from the heat and pour into the center well in the flour mixture. Pour the egg mixture around the outer edge of the bowl, not directly into the center well. Mix on low speed until thoroughly mixed into a soft dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary.
- Knead the dough on low speed for 6-8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Lightly grease a clean, large bowl with the additional butter. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl, flipping it once to lightly coat the dough with butter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
- While the dough is rising, make the filling. If you need to toast the nuts and skin the hazelnuts, follow the directions in the recipe notes below. Set aside to cool.
- Heat the Marsala and raisins in a small saucepan over medium-low heat just until beginning to boil. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Pulse the hazelnuts 1-2 times (3 seconds) in a food processor. Add the walnuts and pulse 1-2 times. Add the pine nuts and pulse until all the nuts are evenly chopped, about 2-3 more times. If using, add the Amaretti cookies, in chunks, pulsing 2-3 times, until evenly chopped.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the candied orange rind, cocoa powder, cinnamon and lemon zest, and stir until mixed. Add the raisin and Marsala mixture and the honey, stirring until thoroughly combined. The mixture should be the consistency of a coarse paste.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Grease an 8" (20 cm) springform pan with the additional butter.
- When the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down and place on a lightly floured surface. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a 12" x 18" (30 x 50 cm) rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 3/4" (2 cm) border on all sides.
- Starting from the longest edge, roll the dough into a log, enclosing the filling. Pinch the open ends of the log to seal. Roll the log into a tight coil, like a snail shell. Gently place in the greased pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour or until it has risen an additional 50 percent of its original size.
- Whisk the remaining egg and brush over the surface of the dough. Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until golden brown with an internal temperature of 190 - 195 °F (88 - 90 °C). Rotate the pan halfway through the baking period for more even baking.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before gently removing the sides to cool completely. Slice in wedges to serve.
Measuring flour - how you measure the flour can affect the finished product, as flour does pack down. One cup of all-purpose flour weighs 4.25 ounces. A cup of flour scooped with a measuring cup can weigh significantly more, especially when the recipe calls for several cups of flour.
Flour measurements in all of our recipes are taken by the following method:
fluff up the flour
sprinkle it with a spoon into your dry cup measure (measures exactly a cup at the top)
scrape off the excess with a straight edge.
Hand mixing/ kneading - you can mix the dough ingredients with your hands or a dough whisk until a soft dough forms. Then turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-12 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Caster sugar - you can make caster sugar by pulsing granulated sugar in a food processor for several seconds or until finely ground. Do not over grind, as it will begin to get powdery.
Orange peel - candied/ glace - orange peel that has been blanched and then cooked in a sugar syrup for 45 minutes or until slightly translucent. It is then rolled in caster sugar and dried for 24 hours. It can be stored in jars in a dark, cool place for 2 months.
Amaretti cookies - Italian pignoli cookies can be substituted for the Amaretti
Nuts - lightly toast the nuts in a 350 °F (175 °C) oven by spreading evenly on a baking sheet for 2 - 4 minutes. The pine will toast faster than the other nuts. Do not burn, as they will become bitter. You can also toast the pine nuts in a dry, heavy bottom fry pan over medium-low heat. Heat the pan first, then flip and move the pine nuts around until evenly toasted, about 1 - 3 minutes.
Hazelnuts - remove the skins by lightly toasting. Immediately place in a clean kitchen towel, covering the nuts completely. Rub the hazelnuts vigorously with the towel, between the palms of your hands 30-60 seconds or until the skins have been removed.