Gubana (Italian Easter Bread)
By America's Test KitchenPublished on April 3, 2013
Time
2¼ hours, plus 4½ to 6½ hours rising and 2 hours cooling
Yield
Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients
SPONGE
¾ cup milk, warmed to 75 or 80 degrees2 tablespoons dry active yeast, plus two additional teaspoons1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus one additional tablespoonDOUGH
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks½ cup sugar, plus an additional 2 tablespoons3–4 tablespoons milk 3 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 ¼ teaspoons table salt ¼ cup grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract ¼ pound (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 piecesFILLING
2 ¾ cups hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped⅓ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted2 tablespoons blanched almonds, chopped1 ½ cups cookie crumbs, from vanilla or nut cookies (see note)1 cup raisins ½ cup apricot jam, plus 1 additional tablespoon½ cup candied orange peel, chopped, or grated zest of 4 oranges, or 1 teaspoon pure orange oil2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons sweet Marsala 3 tablespoons grappa 3 tablespoons rum, plus 1 additional teaspoon1 large egg white, beaten2 tablespoons turbinado sugarBefore You Begin
Because of the grappa in the filling, gubana is best served at dessert. A refreshing sorbet--lemon or other citrus flavors are good choices--makes a nice accompaniment to this not-too-sweet bread. Coffee, grappa, or dessert wine may also be served with this bread. Carol Field (author) uses Pepperidge Farm hazelnut cookies in the filling, but crumbs from any quality vanilla or nut cookie may be used.
Instructions
- Pour milk into large bowl of electric mixer; stir in yeast. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour with wooden spoon until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Using paddle attachment, mix eggs, yolks, sugar, and 3 tablespoons milk into sponge until smooth. Mix in flour and salt until smooth. Mix in lemon zest, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk if needed to form a rough dough. Change to dough hook; knead until dough is velvety, supple, and blistered, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Place dough in lightly buttered bowl. Place butter pieces on top of dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, mix together all filling ingredients; set aside.
- Work butter into dough; turn dough onto well-floured surface and cut in half; set aside one half. Roll other half into an 18-by-12-inch rectangle, long side facing you. Spread half of filling evenly over dough rectangle, leaving a 2-inch border on all sides. Use a dough scraper to square dough edges. Brush border with beaten egg white, reserve remaining egg white. Starting from long side, use dough scraper to lift and roll dough. Finish rolling dough by hand into a log. Fold ends under and pinch to enclose filling. Twist log into a spiral. Repeat process with remaining dough and filling. Use dough scraper to lift each dough spiral into a buttered 2-quart soufflé dish or 8-inch round cake pan, 3 inches deep. Cover with plastic wrap or towel and let rise until well puffed and very tender but not yet doubled in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush dough tops with remaining egg white; sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Poke 8 to 10 1-inch-deep holes in dough tops with a thin skewer or cake tester to release trapped air. Bake 25 minutes; reduce heat to 325 degrees. Bake until breads are golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of bread registers 190 to 200 degrees, about 20 minutes longer. Unmold and cool breads completely on wire rack. Cut into slices and serve. (Can be wrapped in towel or brown bag and stored at room temperature for 2 days, or wrapped in foil, placed in a zipper-lock plastic bag, and frozen for several weeks. Heat frozen foil-wrapped bread in a 200-degree oven until defrosted, 30 to 35 minutes.
for the sponge
for the dough
for the filling
Time
2¼ hours, plus 4½ to 6½ hours rising and 2 hours coolingYield
Makes 2 loavesIngredients
SPONGE
¾ cup milk, warmed to 75 or 80 degrees
2 tablespoons dry active yeast, plus two additional teaspoons
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus one additional tablespoon
DOUGH
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
½ cup sugar, plus an additional 2 tablespoons
3–4 tablespoons milk
3 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt
¼ cup grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ pound (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
FILLING
2 ¾ cups hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped
¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
⅓ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons blanched almonds, chopped
1 ½ cups cookie crumbs, from vanilla or nut cookies (see note)
1 cup raisins
½ cup apricot jam, plus 1 additional tablespoon
½ cup candied orange peel, chopped, or grated zest of 4 oranges, or 1 teaspoon pure orange oil
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons sweet Marsala
3 tablespoons grappa
3 tablespoons rum, plus 1 additional teaspoon
1 large egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
SPONGE
¾ cup milk, warmed to 75 or 80 degrees
2 tablespoons dry active yeast, plus two additional teaspoons
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus one additional tablespoon
DOUGH
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
½ cup sugar, plus an additional 2 tablespoons
3–4 tablespoons milk
3 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt
¼ cup grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ pound (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
FILLING
2 ¾ cups hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped
¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
⅓ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons blanched almonds, chopped
1 ½ cups cookie crumbs, from vanilla or nut cookies (see note)
1 cup raisins
½ cup apricot jam, plus 1 additional tablespoon
½ cup candied orange peel, chopped, or grated zest of 4 oranges, or 1 teaspoon pure orange oil
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons sweet Marsala
3 tablespoons grappa
3 tablespoons rum, plus 1 additional teaspoon
1 large egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
SPONGE
¾ cup milk, warmed to 75 or 80 degrees
2 tablespoons dry active yeast, plus two additional teaspoons
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus one additional tablespoon
DOUGH
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
½ cup sugar, plus an additional 2 tablespoons
3–4 tablespoons milk
3 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons table salt
¼ cup grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ pound (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
FILLING
2 ¾ cups hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped
¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
⅓ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons blanched almonds, chopped
1 ½ cups cookie crumbs, from vanilla or nut cookies (see note)
1 cup raisins
½ cup apricot jam, plus 1 additional tablespoon
½ cup candied orange peel, chopped, or grated zest of 4 oranges, or 1 teaspoon pure orange oil
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons sweet Marsala
3 tablespoons grappa
3 tablespoons rum, plus 1 additional teaspoon
1 large egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Italian baking expert Carole Field showed us the best filling (a combination of nuts, candied fruit, cookie crumbs, chocolate, and liquor) and the best way to shape the dough (a combination of rolling and twisting) for this traditional Italian Easter bread recipe.
Before You Begin
Because of the grappa in the filling, gubana is best served at dessert. A refreshing sorbet--lemon or other citrus flavors are good choices--makes a nice accompaniment to this not-too-sweet bread. Coffee, grappa, or dessert wine may also be served with this bread. Carol Field (author) uses Pepperidge Farm hazelnut cookies in the filling, but crumbs from any quality vanilla or nut cookie may be used.
Instructions
- Pour milk into large bowl of electric mixer; stir in yeast. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour with wooden spoon until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Using paddle attachment, mix eggs, yolks, sugar, and 3 tablespoons milk into sponge until smooth. Mix in flour and salt until smooth. Mix in lemon zest, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk if needed to form a rough dough. Change to dough hook; knead until dough is velvety, supple, and blistered, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Place dough in lightly buttered bowl. Place butter pieces on top of dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, mix together all filling ingredients; set aside.
- Work butter into dough; turn dough onto well-floured surface and cut in half; set aside one half. Roll other half into an 18-by-12-inch rectangle, long side facing you. Spread half of filling evenly over dough rectangle, leaving a 2-inch border on all sides. Use a dough scraper to square dough edges. Brush border with beaten egg white, reserve remaining egg white. Starting from long side, use dough scraper to lift and roll dough. Finish rolling dough by hand into a log. Fold ends under and pinch to enclose filling. Twist log into a spiral. Repeat process with remaining dough and filling. Use dough scraper to lift each dough spiral into a buttered 2-quart soufflé dish or 8-inch round cake pan, 3 inches deep. Cover with plastic wrap or towel and let rise until well puffed and very tender but not yet doubled in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush dough tops with remaining egg white; sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Poke 8 to 10 1-inch-deep holes in dough tops with a thin skewer or cake tester to release trapped air. Bake 25 minutes; reduce heat to 325 degrees. Bake until breads are golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of bread registers 190 to 200 degrees, about 20 minutes longer. Unmold and cool breads completely on wire rack. Cut into slices and serve. (Can be wrapped in towel or brown bag and stored at room temperature for 2 days, or wrapped in foil, placed in a zipper-lock plastic bag, and frozen for several weeks. Heat frozen foil-wrapped bread in a 200-degree oven until defrosted, 30 to 35 minutes.
for the sponge
for the dough
for the filling
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