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Zelten

17/11/2023

Zelten is a traditional sweet from Trentino that is prepared especially during the Christmas period. It is a delicious sweet bread enriched with dried fruits and spices. Here is the recipe for you:

Ingredients

  • 500 g of flour
  • 25 g of fresh brewer’s yeast
  • 75 g of sugar
  • 200 ml of warm milk
  • 1 egg
  • 125 g of soft butter
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 200 g of dried figs
  • 150 g of shelled walnuts
  • 100 g of pine nuts
  • 100 g of raisins
  • 50 g of candied citron
  • 50 g of candied orange
  • Flour as needed for the dough
  • Butter and flour for the mold
  • Honey as needed for glazing

Preparation

  1. Start by dissolving the brewer’s yeast in the warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar.
  2. Place the flour in a well on a pastry board, add in the center the mixture of yeast and milk, the egg, the soft butter, the rest of the sugar, a pinch of salt, the cinnamon, and the grated lemon zest.
  3. Knead well until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary.
  4. Cover the dough with a clean cloth and let it rest in a warm place away from drafts for about 2 hours, until it doubles in volume.
  5. In the meantime, soak the raisins in warm water to soften them, then roughly chop the dried figs and walnuts.
  6. Add the drained raisins, figs, walnuts, pine nuts, citron, and candied orange to the risen mixture.
  7. Blend all the ingredients with the dough until the fruit is evenly distributed.
  8. Take a round mold, grease it with butter, and dust with a bit of flour.
  9. Place the dough in the mold, shaping it into a round and slightly flattened form.
  10. Let the Zelten rise in the mold for another 30 minutes.
  11. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and bake the Zelten for about 45 minutes or until it becomes golden.
  12. Take the Zelten out of the oven and while still hot, brush it with melted honey to give it shine and a more intense flavor.

Once cooled, the Zelten is ready to be served. Traditionally, it is kept wrapped in a cloth and consumed in the following days, becoming even tastier.

Curiosity

The name “Zelten” comes from the German “selten,” which means “rarely,” perhaps to underline that in the past this sweet was prepared only on special occasions, like Christmas. Each family has their own version, with variations in ingredients according to availability and local traditions.