🇮🇹 Italian · Dessert
🥮 Pitta 'Nchiusa
Pitta 'Nchiusa
A striking spiral-shaped sweet bread from the Calabrian coast, its yeasted dough tightly coiled around a filling of walnuts, raisins, and honey, traditionally baked for Christmas.
Pitta 'nchiusa, meaning 'closed pitta,' is rolled thin, spread with its nut-and-honey filling, then wound into a tight spiral before baking, resulting in a strikingly beautiful cross-section when sliced that has made it a treasured centerpiece of the Calabrian holiday table.
Ingredients
Equipment: Mixing bowl, Rolling pin, Round baking pan
- 500 g (4 cups) 00 flour
- 7 g (2¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- 250 ml (1 cup) warm water
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 8 g (1½ tsp) salt
- 200 g (1¾ cups) walnuts, chopped
- 150 g (1 cup) raisins, soaked and chopped
- 150 g (½ cup) honey
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 orange
Method
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Combine the flour, olive oil, salt, and yeast mixture into a smooth, elastic dough, kneading for 10 minutes.
- Let rise, covered, in a warm place for about 1.5–2 hours, until doubled.
- Combine the walnuts, drained raisins, honey, cinnamon, and orange zest into a thick, spreadable filling.
- Roll the risen dough out into a large, thin rectangle.
- Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border.
- Roll the dough up tightly from one long edge, forming a long log.
- Coil the log into a tight spiral and place in a round baking pan.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30–35 minutes until deeply golden.
- Cool before slicing to reveal the spiral pattern.
Chef Tips
- Roll the dough as thin and evenly as possible for the most attractive spiral when sliced.
- Roll the filled log tightly, which helps the finished bread hold its spiral shape neatly.
- This bread genuinely improves after a day's rest, as the filling flavors settle into the dough.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rolling the dough too thick, resulting in a less defined spiral pattern once sliced.
- Making the filling too wet, which can cause it to leak out during baking.
- Rushing the initial rise, resulting in a denser, less airy final bread.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Walnuts provide healthy fats and vitamin E; honey offers natural sweetness with some antioxidants.
Cultural Note
Pitta 'nchiusa is a treasured Christmas tradition along the Calabrian coast, particularly around Reggio Calabria, its striking spiral cross-section a centerpiece of the holiday dessert table.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Not applicable; served at room temperature.
Serve with: Espresso