There Focaccia Della Befana it's a leavened cake exquisite, typical of Piedmontese tradition that prepares the January 6 for celebrate the Epiphany! It's about a Croissant to shape of the sun covered with granulated sugar; based on flour, milk, eggs, butter is candied fruit; than for his very soft consistency is intense aroma it's a lot similar to a panettone! But it's lower it's a lot easier to realize! Inside which yes hides a dime, symbol of fertility and health, it will bring luck to those who find it! Just like for the French Galette des Roys and the Spanish Roscòn de Reyes.
Like any traditional recipe they exist different versions. What I give you today is there Original recipe of the Focaccia Della Befana, taken directly from the book of my regional Christmas sweets! It is a preparation very simple! You can make it by hand even without a mixer! within a few hours it rises and it will be ready to be enjoyed! For the realization you can use candied fruit of your choice: cherries red, green, or a mix of leftovers! I prefer and recommend you use candied orange peel homemade, which gives a amazing scent is a special taste! trust me you'll love it! Perfect to prepare for the epiphany! as an addition or alternative to Sweets for the Befana, not just to make Breakfast in the morning and all together unwrap the socks that the Befana brought at night! As snack; but also how dessert at the end of the meal, perhaps accompanied by a good passito or a cup of hot chocolate!
How to make the Focaccia della Befana
First of all mix the flour with the sugar. Dissolve the yeast in the milk, add it to the flour, mix, or mix with a planetary mixer, gradually add the eggs, one at a time. The dough is soft but it is normal, work well until it takes on consistency.
Then add the butter in small pieces. String by hand or with a planetary mixer at medium speed until all the butter is absorbed.
Finally add the salt. Knead and let the dough rest every 10 seconds. It must be soft, but strung. Then add the candied fruit:
Knead, incorporating them inside, pirlate smoothing the ball on the work surface and transfer to a bowl:
Then cover with cling film and let it rise in the heat (oven off with light on, perhaps on recently) at around 28 ° for 4 – 5 hours until the dough triples in volume:
Turn over on a work surface, pirlate and smooth without adding flour. Transfer to a sheet of baking paper.
Then roll out with a rolling pin forming a circle of about 25 cm cut into 4 parts leaving the center intact.
Divide each quadrant into 4 pieces and roll them up like twists:
Finally add if you have it, otherwise it does nothing, a circle of those that can be opened for cakes of about 32 cm, this will serve to preserve the round shape.
Leave to rise in a warm 28 ° for about 1 hour and a half, then brush strokes of egg white and cover with sugar grains.
Finally bake in a static oven at 180 ° hot in the medium-low part for about 25 minutes until golden brown and until the toothpick is dry!
Remove from the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes then serve!
Here is ready Focaccia Della Befana!
As soon as it is cold it must be perfectly sealed in film. In this way it keeps perfectly for 2 – 3 days.
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