Raisin and chocolate rolled brioche (gubana)

With its nutty, fruity, chocolate filling, this snail-shaped bread from north-east Italy bears similarities to the sweets of nearby Slovenia.

Credit: Feast magazine

• serves

  10

• prep

  1:30 hour

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 420 g unsalted butter, roughly chopped
• 665 g plain flour
• 1½ x 7 g yeast sachets
• 55 g (¼ cup) caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 250 ml (1 cup) milk, at room temperature

Raisin and chocolate filling

• 100 g (⅔ cup) raisins
• 60 ml marsala (see Note)
• 75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
• 60 g hazelnuts
• 60 g walnuts
• 40 g (¼ cup) pine nuts
• 40 g unsalted butter, softened
• 15 g cocoa powder
• 1 orange, finely zested
• 1 lemon, finely zested
• 1 tbsp grappa (see Note) (optional)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 100 g amaretti biscuits, crushed
• 40 g chocolate, roughly chopped

Resting time 3 hours

Chilling time 4 hours 30 minutes

Instructions

Place chopped butter on a lightly floured work surface, then scatter over 40 g flour. Using your fingertips, rub flour into butter until combined. Place butter mixture on a sheet of baking paper, shape into a 20 cm square, then top with another sheet of baking paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out until smooth and about 1 cm thick. Set aside in a cool place.

Place yeast, a pinch of sugar and 80ml warm water in a bowl, stir to combine and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 5 minutes or until mixture bubbles. Place remaining 625 g flour and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add yeast mixture, sugar, 1 egg and milk, and knead for 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.

Punch down dough and roll out on a lightly floured work surface to a 45 cm square. Place butter square in the centre on a 45 degree angle. Fold corners of dough into centre to form an envelope around butter. Roll out to a 25 cm x 60 cm rectangle, then fold one of the short edges into the centre and fold over the other short edge to cover. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out with the shortest edge facing you, repeat folding, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To make filling, soak raisins in marsala for 1 hour or until plump. Drain, then transfer raisins to a food processor with remaining ingredients, except amaretti and chocolate. Process to a coarse paste, transfer to a bowl and stir through amaretti and chocolate.

Grease a 26 cm cake pan and line base with baking paper. Roll out dough to a 50 cm x 40 cm rectangle, scatter with chocolate filling, leaving a 1cm border, and roll into a sausage. Coil dough in pan, cover with a tea-towel and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly beat remaining egg and brush top of dough. Bake for 1 hour or until golden. Cool in pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• Marsala is a Sicilian fortified wine, available from bottle shops.

• Grappa, from bottle shops, is an Italian distilled liquor made from grape pomace.

Photography Derek Swalwell

As seen in Feast magazine, May 2014, Issue 31.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.