🇮🇹 Italian · Dessert
🥮 Gubana Friulana
Gubana
Friuli's spiral-coiled sweet bread from the Natisone Valleys, filled with a rich blend of walnuts, raisins, pine nuts, and grappa-soaked dried fruit, traditionally sliced and served with a glass of the same grappa.
Gubana shares its rolled, coiled construction with Calabria's pitta 'nchiusa, though its filling, heavy with walnuts and grappa-soaked fruit, is distinctly Friulian, reflecting the Slavic-influenced culinary traditions of the mountainous Natisone Valleys near the Slovenian border.
Ingredients
Equipment: Mixing bowl, Rolling pin, Round baking pan
- 500 g (4 cups) 00 flour
- 7 g (2¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) warm milk
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 100 g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 eggs
- 250 g (2 cups) walnuts, chopped
- 100 g (⅔ cup) raisins
- 50 g (⅓ cup) pine nuts
- 3 tbsp grappa
- 80 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar, for the filling
- Zest of 1 lemon
Method
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Combine the flour, sugar, eggs, and yeast mixture into a dough, then gradually work in the softened butter until smooth and elastic.
- Let rise, covered, in a warm place for about 2 hours, until doubled.
- Soak the raisins in the grappa for at least 30 minutes.
- Combine the walnuts, drained raisins, pine nuts, sugar, and lemon zest into a thick filling, adding a splash of the grappa soaking liquid.
- Roll the risen dough into a large, thin rectangle.
- Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border.
- Roll up tightly from one long edge into a log, then coil into a spiral and place in a round baking pan.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 35–40 minutes until deeply golden.
- Cool before slicing.
Chef Tips
- Soaking the raisins in grappa specifically, rather than water, is what gives gubana its distinctive character.
- Roll the dough thin and the filled log tightly for the most attractive spiral pattern once sliced.
- This bread is traditionally served with a small glass of the same grappa used in the filling.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping the grappa soak, missing an essential part of the traditional flavor.
- Rolling the dough too thick, resulting in a less distinct spiral once sliced.
- Underbaking, leaving the enriched, filled dough undercooked at the center.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Walnuts provide healthy fats and vitamin E.
Cultural Note
Gubana is a treasured specialty of Friuli's Natisone Valleys near the Slovenian border, reflecting the region's blended Slavic and Italian culinary heritage.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Not applicable; served at room temperature.
Serve with: A glass of grappa, Espresso