Buccellato Siciliano
Christmas pastry ring filled with figs, nuts and chocolate
Sicilian Christmas buccellato: a shortcrust ring enclosing dried figs, toasted nuts, raisins, chocolate, honey and cinnamon.
Plus 2 hrs 30 min for chilling pastry and filling, then cooling; included in the total time below.
Sicily
The regional version.
Sicilian filled Christmas pastry with lard shortcrust, figs, nuts and chocolate.
- A shortcrust ring encloses a dried-fruit-and-nut filling.
- Dried figs, chocolate and cinnamon distinguish it from a plain sweet bread.
- Jam glaze, candied fruit and pistachios finish the Christmas pastry.
Technique: christmas pastry ring filled with figs, nuts and chocolate
Use only food-grade baker’s ammonia and bake until the pastry is thoroughly cooked. The filling should hold together; drain soaked fruit so it does not wet the shell.
The recipe
Buccellato Siciliano
Includes 2 hrs 30 min for chilling pastry and filling, then cooling.
Ingredients
Pastry
Filling
Decoration
Method
- 1
Rub lard into flour and baker’s ammonia. Mix in sugar, eggs and salt, bind into pastry, wrap and chill 1 hour.
- 2
Soak figs and raisins in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and chop. Chop almonds and walnuts.
- 3
Mix fruit, nuts, chocolate, cocoa, cinnamon, honey and half the jam into a cohesive filling; chill for 1 hour.
- 4
Heat oven to 180°C. Roll pastry into a 5 mm rectangle, place filling in a long strip and wrap into a sealed tube.
- 5
Bend into a ring, seal the ends and make shallow decorative cuts without cutting through the base.
- 6
Bake for 40–45 minutes until cooked and golden. Cool completely, brush with remaining jam diluted with a little water and decorate.
The version on this page
Sicilian filled Christmas pastry with lard shortcrust, figs, nuts and chocolate.
- A shortcrust ring encloses a dried-fruit-and-nut filling.
- Dried figs, chocolate and cinnamon distinguish it from a plain sweet bread.
- Jam glaze, candied fruit and pistachios finish the Christmas pastry.
Cooking it well
Use only food-grade baker’s ammonia and bake until the pastry is thoroughly cooked. The filling should hold together; drain soaked fruit so it does not wet the shell.
Serving and planning
Cut into small slices with coffee. This is the filled Sicilian buccellato, not the yeasted Tuscan bread of the same name.
Allow 150 additional minutes for chilling pastry and filling, then cooling. This is included in the total recipe time, alongside active preparation and cooking.
Explore the Sicilian cooking guide for related dishes and pantry notes.
Storage
Store cool in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezing
Freeze wrapped slices for up to 1 month, preferably before glazing; thaw wrapped.
Reheating
Serve at room temperature. Reheating is not necessary.
Keep cooking
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