Gubana

Gubana is a traditional dessert from Friuli, a northeastern region of Italy. It is a leavened cake stuffed with dried fruit, raisins, and spices, wrapped to form a snail shape. Here’s the recipe for making a homemade Gubana.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 500 g of wheat flour
• 100 g of sugar
• 100 g of soft butter
• 2 whole eggs
• 150-200 ml of lukewarm milk
• 25 g of fresh brewer’s yeast
• A pinch of salt
• Grated zest of one lemon

For the filling:

• 150 g of chopped walnuts
• 100 g of toasted and chopped almonds
• 100 g of raisins
• 50 g of sugar
• 50 g of breadcrumbs
• 50 ml of grappa or rum
• 1 grated apple
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• Grated zest of one lemon
• A pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in the lukewarm milk with a teaspoon of sugar. Let it rest for a few minutes until it starts to form bubbles.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or on a pastry board, put the flour, salt, sugar, and grated lemon zest. Mix and make a well in the center.
3. In the center of the flour, pour the dissolved yeast, the eggs, and the soft butter in pieces.
4. Knead well until the mixture is smooth and elastic, adding milk if necessary.
5. Form a ball, cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 2 hours.
6. In the meantime, prepare the filling by mixing together all the ingredients: walnuts, almonds, previously soaked and squeezed raisins, sugar, breadcrumbs, grappa or rum, grated apple, cinnamon, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
7. When the dough has risen, roll it out on a floured surface, forming a rectangle about 5 mm thick.
8. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a free edge of about 1 cm.
9. Roll the dough up on itself to form a roll, then curve it into a spiral.
10. Transfer the Gubana to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it rise again for an hour.
11. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (356 °F) for about 40-45 minutes until golden.
12. Let cool before serving.

Curiosity

The word “Gubana” comes from the Slovenian language “guba,” meaning fold, referring to the characteristic shape of this cake. It is said that in the past it was prepared for special occasions or holidays, and in some variations, it can also be enriched with chocolate or other local ingredients.