Gubana (Italian Easter Bread)

Name: Gubana (Italian Easter Bread)
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3/4 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; 2 , large eggs plus 2 yolks; 1/2 cup, sugar, plus an additional 2 tablespoons; 3–4 tablespoons, milk; 3 3/4 cups, unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 1/4 teaspoons, table salt; 1/4 cup, grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons); 2 1/2 teaspoons, vanilla extract; 1/4 pound (113 grams), unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces; 2 3/4 cups, hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped; 3/4 cup, walnuts, toasted and chopped; 1/3 cup, pine nuts, lightly toasted; 2 tablespoons, blanched almonds, chopped; 1 1/2 cups, cookie crumbs, from vanilla or nut cookies (see note); 1 cup, raisins; 1/2 cup, apricot jam, plus 1 additional tablespoon; 1/2 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 1/2 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

Desserts or Baked Goods
Italian
Breads
Easter

Appears in Cook's Illustrated March/April 1994

Italian-baking expert Carol Field demonstrates how to make this unusual dessert bread from Friuli.

SERVES Makes 2 loaves

TIME 2¼ hours, plus 4½ to 6½ hours rising and 2 hours cooling

Why This Recipe Works

This is a members' feature.