Gubana (Italian Easter Bread)

Name: Gubana (Italian Easter Bread)
Yield: Makes 2 loaves
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, 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

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated March/April 1994

Desserts or Baked Goods

Italian

Breads

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

SERVESMakes 2 loaves

TIME2¼ hours, plus 4½ to 6½ hours rising and 2 hours cooling

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Italian baking expert Carole Field showed us the best filling (a combination of nuts, candied fruit, cookie crumbs, chocolate, and liquor) and the best way to shape the dough (a combination of rolling and twisting) for this traditional Ital...

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