Receta Scale Up to a Rustic Italian Cake- Lemon Buccellato with Blackberry Sauce
There may come a time when my baking skills outgrow this scale (keep your fingers crossed).
But in the meantime I chose this scale because it seems like a great entry-level piece of equipment. You got to learn to crawl before you walk... so I chose a scale that's easy to use, that's reliable and is digital. Besides, at $27.99 (even before the discount) it cannot be beat for function and form. Because let’s face it, this scale is sleek and good-looking. Sup! likes that.
And that’s where I am starting this quest– with a simple rustic Italian cake. It’s called a Buccellato, and it’s a traditional recipe dating back to medieval times. It has come to represent the coming of spring. So it seemed like a great choice for today.
Today's cake is a Lemon Buccellato. It is slightly sweet. Yeast is used in the preparation giving this cake the bread-like crumb I mentioned. It is not really a “cake†in the modern North American sense though. There is no frosting, or frilly decorations. In other words this is my kind of cake.
I have to warn you though, it's a dense cake with a sophisticated palate of flavors. It is dense by design. A dense texture is necessary because this cake is soaked in Vin Santo, an Italian dessert wine, before being served with blackberry sauce and cream.
Now I can’t promise how much a better baker I will become in this process. But I believe this scale will help move me forward along that path. I am not saying I am giving up my measuring cups entirely. Most of my recipes from here on out will still use volume (at least for the foreseeable future). But I will use weight from this day forward in many of my baking projects. So get yourself a scale and join me on this journey.
First stop Tuscany.
- 1 pint fresh blackberries, rinsed and dried
- 200 g sugar
- 2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 400 g all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- 50 g unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature, plus more for bowl
- 10 g dry activated yeast, at room temperature
- milk, at room temperature
- 1 pn salt
- 2 pn baking soda
- 1 zest and juice of lemon, separated
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- vin santo
- barely sweetened whipped cream for garnish
- additional whole blackberries for garnish, optional
Put the blackberries and 50 grams of sugar into a saucepan set over medium heat. Cook the mixture stirring occasionally. Once the blackberries begin to release their juice mash them with a spoon until the mixture is soft and just begins to boil. Remove from heat and press the mixture through a fine sieve or cheesecloth-lined strainer. Set aside. This sauce may be kept covered in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Place a large mixing bowl onto a scale. Using the tare feature, return the reading to zero. Sift in 400 grams of flour. Tare the scale to zero. Add 150 grams of sugar. Tare the scale to zero, then add 50 grams of butter.
Using a fork or a pastry blender work the mixture into a dry coarse sandy consistency, with the butter well-distributed.
In a small glass or on a small plate, mix just enough milk into the yeast to form a paste. Scrape this mixture into the flour mixture, followed by salt, baking soda, lemon zest and juice. Add the eggs, stirring until just combined.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it become smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball and place it into a buttered bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean dry cloth allowing it to sit undisturbed about 4 hours.
At the end of the waiting period preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Transfer the rested dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it again for a few minutes. Shape the dough into a 12" x 4" inch log, placing it onto a baking sheet. Bake in the oven about 40 minutes. Then allow the cake to cool about 30 minutes before serving. This cake really is best served warm, but it's not mandatory.
To serve, cut off both ends of the cake, saving them for another purpose. Slice the remainder into 12 equal pieces. Pour about 1-inch of Vin Santo into a bowl large enough to accomodate 1 slice of cake laying flat. Dip each slice into the wine, turning it once to allow it soak up the wine. Repeat with the additional slices adding more wine as needed.
Lay 2 slices of cake on each of 6 plates. Drizzle a little of the blackberry sauce alongside and top with a dollop of the whipped cream and (optionally) additional whole blackberries.
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup