Thought to originally hail from the northeastern corner of Italy bordering Slovenia, the Gubana is a true celebration of all things Italian. At first glance, this snail shell-shaped traditional holiday treat looks like any other gorgeously golden, swirled bread, but inside, it nearly bursts with a filling of nuts, amaretti cookies, and raisins, all spiked with zesty orange, cinnamon, chocolaty notes of cocoa, and a splash of marsala wine. Talk about decadent!
Gubana
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
- ½ cup (120 grams) warm whole milk (110°F/43°C to 115°F/46°C)
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) warm water (110°F/43°C to 115°F/46°C)
- 3 tablespoons (36 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 (0.25-ounce) package (7 grams) instant yeast*
- 3½ to 3¾ cups (438 to 469 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
- 2½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) tightly packed orange zest
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature and divided
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
- Gubana Filling (recipe follows)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together warm milk, ⅓ cup (80 grams) warm water, 1 teaspoon (4 grams) sugar, and yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 3 cups (375 grams) flour, salt, orange zest, and remaining 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (32 grams) sugar. Add yeast mixture, melted butter, 1 egg (50 grams), and vanilla. Beat at low speed until well combined; scrape sides of bowl.
- Switch to the dough hook attachment. Add ½ cup (63 grams) flour, and beat at low speed until a smooth, soft, somewhat tacky dough forms, 8 to 10 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl and dough hook; add up to remaining ¼ cup (31 grams) flour, 1 tablespoon (8 grams) at a time, if dough is too sticky. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and shape into a smooth round.
- Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
- Punch down dough. Cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into a 24×10-inch rectangle. Using a small offset spatula, spread Gubana Filling onto dough, leaving a ½-inch border on all sides. Starting with one long side, roll up dough, jelly roll style; pinch seam and ends to seal. Gently lift log at each end, and stretch to 28 inches long and even thickness. Lift log, and place, seam side down, in a spiral starting from edge of pan and ending in center. (It is important that the spiral is not tight and has room to grow as it rises and bakes. Make sure spiral is evenly spaced and ends in center of pan.) Tuck pinched ends under. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed, 15 to 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, lightly whisk remaining 1 egg (50 grams). Using a pastry brush, brush egg on top and sides of dough.
- Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F (88°C), 40 to 50 minutes, loosely covering with foil halfway through baking to prevent excess browning. (See Note.) Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Carefully remove from pan, and let cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
*We used Platinum® Yeastfrom Red Star®.
Note: This bread may sometimes split slightly as it bakes. That is totally OK and will not impact how it bakes or the quality of the final product.
3.5.3251
Gubana Filling
Makes about 1½ cups
Ingredients
- ½ cup (71 grams) peeled toasted hazelnuts
- ½ cup (57 grams) toasted walnut halves
- 9 small amaretti cookies (40 grams)
- ½ cup (80 grams) packed golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon (5 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon tightly packed orange zest
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) marsala wine
- 3 tablespoons (63 grams) honey
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
- 1 large egg (50 grams), lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the work bowl of food processor, process hazelnuts and walnuts until ground and uniform in size, 8 to 10 pulses. Add cookies; pulse until cookies are same size as nuts, 4 to 5 pulses. Add raisins, cocoa, cinnamon, and orange zest; pulse until raisins are combined and small clumps start to form.
- In a medium saucepan, stir together wine, honey, and salt, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in nut mixture. Add egg, and cook, stirring constantly, until glossy and slightly thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 175°F (79°C), about 2 minutes. Pour mixture into a medium bowl, and stir in vanilla. Let cool completely before using.
3.5.3251
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