Gennaro's Hidden Italy: Regional Recipes to Treasure For Generations
By Gennaro Contaldo
Not Too Tricky
makes 14
About the recipe
This ‘tear and share’ brioche cake is a popular sweet treat from the Aldo Adige / South Tyrol area of Northern Italy and is a typical example of how the cuisine of this region has been influenced by its border neighbour, Austria. It takes a little time to prepare but is very simple to make and is really worth the wait. Delicious filled with a good-quality apricot jam, I like to serve it still warm for a teatime treat.
Recipe From
Ingredients
150 g/5 ½ oz 0 flour or strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
150 g/5 ½ oz 00 flour
4 g/⅛ oz easy-blend dried yeast
45 g/1 ½ oz caster sugar
4 tbsp milk, plus extra for glazing
2 eggs
50 g/1 ¾ oz butter, melted
1 tbsp rum
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 tsp sea salt
zest of 1 lemon
14 tsp apricot jam
icing sugar, for dusting
Method
- In a bowl or stand mixer, combine the flours, dried yeast and caster sugar. In a smaller bowl or jug, gently whisk together the milk, eggs, melted butter, rum, vanilla extract, salt and lemon zest and gradually add this to the dry ingredients, mixing well to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Form into a ball, cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours.
- Line a 20-cm/8-inch round cake tin with baking paper.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide into 14 pieces, weighing approx. 35–40 g/1¼–1½ oz each. Roll each piece into a small ball and, using a rolling pin, flatten them into small circles. Place a teaspoon of apricot jam in the centre of each and close the edges well to form small balls and enclose the jam. Arrange the dough balls, seam-side down, in the prepared tin, cover with a cloth and leave to rest for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C Fan/180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Brush the dough balls with a little milk to glaze and then bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly in the tin, then remove and dust with a little icing sugar. Serve by ‘tearing and sharing’.
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