Lucca buccellato is the most famous and characteristic dessert from the city of Lucca. In fact, it is so intrinsically part of the town that there is even an idiom to do with it which states, “Whoever comes to Lucca and doesn’t eat buccellato can’t say that they’ve been here” (‘Chi viene a Lucca e non mangia il buccellato è come non ci fosse mai stato’). Buccellato is traditionally donut cake made of flour, eggs, aniseed and raisins but it can also be in loaf form. The name ''buccellato'' comes from the latin ''bucella'' meaning a type of cookie or bread which was given as ration to soldiers. A “buccellatum” was the word for the shape of foods, a round loaf of bread or a crown buccellae.
This ancient Tuscan bread isn’t quite like other Italian sweet breads as, instead of being rich and cake-like, it is lightly sweetened and spiced. Buccellato is commonly served at celebrations in Lucca with the typical sweet wine of the area, Vin Santo. It is eaten all year, especially during the demonstrations of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and Crossbow held in Lucca in September. Toasted leftovers can also be for breakfast, or served as an after-dinner treat with fruit.
Buccellato can easily be found at many bakeries in Lucca. Nowadays you can find many variations but the traditional classic Lucca buccellato recipe contains just flour, sugar, aniseed and raisins.
Try this easy recipe for the bread yourself and then check out the real thing from a bakery in Italy once you've found a villa with internet in Lucca.
Ingredients
500g of White wheat all-purpose flour
150g of Sugar
1.5l of Skimmed milk
20g of Fresh yeast
2 eggs
50g of Anise seed
50g of Butter
100g of Raisins
Table salt
Method
1. First you need to knead the flour, sugar, one egg, the soft butter, milk, a pinch of salt and the yeast – which should have been previously melted in warm water.
2. Mix all of these ingredients together well before adding raisins and crushed anise seeds. Form a ball from the dough and allow it to rise in a warm place covered by a towel.
3. Now you need to form the dough into loaves or donuts. Use a knife to create cuts in the surface on the top and then let it sit for an hour.
4. Brush the top with a beaten egg using a pastry brush and then bake at around 180 to 200°C for an hour.
Now that you've developed a taste for this delicious dish, be sure to track it down on your next trip to Lucca.
Buccellato can easily be found at many bakeries in Lucca. Nowadays you can find many variations but the traditional classic Lucca buccellato recipe contains just flour, sugar, aniseed and raisins.
Try this easy recipe for the bread yourself and then check out the real thing from a bakery in Italy once you've found a villa with internet in Lucca.
Ingredients
500g of White wheat all-purpose flour
150g of Sugar
1.5l of Skimmed milk
20g of Fresh yeast
2 eggs
50g of Anise seed
50g of Butter
100g of Raisins
Table salt
Method
1. First you need to knead the flour, sugar, one egg, the soft butter, milk, a pinch of salt and the yeast – which should have been previously melted in warm water.
2. Mix all of these ingredients together well before adding raisins and crushed anise seeds. Form a ball from the dough and allow it to rise in a warm place covered by a towel.
3. Now you need to form the dough into loaves or donuts. Use a knife to create cuts in the surface on the top and then let it sit for an hour.
4. Brush the top with a beaten egg using a pastry brush and then bake at around 180 to 200°C for an hour.
Now that you've developed a taste for this delicious dish, be sure to track it down on your next trip to Lucca.
Photo credit: Sunsetwiki / CC BY-SA 3.0
