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174

The Italian Baker

Bread-Based Desserts
Torta Nicolotta Bread Pudding
This old and very popular cake gets its name from the inhabitants of the poorest
neighborhood in Venice, i Nicolotti, who live by begging. They make this very simple
dessert with leftover bread, milk, and a few sweeteners.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
3 to 4 cups (12 to 14 oz / 350 to 400 g) stale
white bread or raisin bread, crusts trimmed,
cubed
41/4 cups (36 oz / 1 kg) milk
5 tablespoons (2.5 oz / 70 g) unsalted butter
/ cup (5.3 oz / 150 g) sugar

3 4

1 cup (6 oz / 175 g) raisins

2 tablespoons (1 oz / 30 g) rum
5 large eggs, beaten
Grated zest of 1 lemon
/ cup (3.5 oz / 100 g) chopped candied citron
(page 39, optional)

3 4

/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon (0.1 oz / 4 g) vanilla extract

Unsalted butter and fine bread crumbs for
the baking dish

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Place the bread cubes in a large mixing

bowl. Heat the milk, butter, and sugar in a
saucepan just to a low boil and pour over
the bread cubes. Let stand 2 hours.
Place the raisins and rum in a small
bowl; add warm water to cover. Let stand at
least 15 minutes to plump the raisins. Drain,
squeeze the raisins to eliminate excess
liquid, and pat dry. Squeeze the bread dry
and break it up with your hands to a soft,
crumbly mass. Stir the raisins, eggs, lemon
zest, and citron, if using, into the bread.
Add the cinnamon and vanilla and stir
thoroughly. Butter a 2-quart baking dish
and lightly coat it with fine bread crumbs.
Pour the bread mixture into the dish.
Baking. Preheat the oven to 375F.
Bake until the top is the golden color of
a hazelnut, 45 to 55 minutes.

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dolci

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Crostate

337

Crostata di Zucca Pumpkin Tart

I have to admit that this particular pumpkin dessert is truly my fantasia. Giorgio, the
baker in Venice, was busy one day and told me to take a look at his recipes, which
were really just a list of ingredients and the most rudimentary instructions. After so
much time spent being beguiled by the imaginations of Italian bakers and the phenomenal desserts they made with a few simple ingredients, I went to work when I
got home to my kitchen on a tart I imagined would be a close cousin to Giorgios.
When I returned to Italy, I told him what I had done. He paused for a very long time,
with a look of some confusion on his face, and then described his crostata di zucca. It
was an extravaganza of two days work, complicated processes, and fondant coverings;
so, although this crostata di zucca is made with the ingredients listed in Giorgios little
book, it is absolutely my invention. Delicate and delicious, this tart has been the finale
for our Thanksgiving dinners for many years.
Makes one 10-inch tart plus several tartlets
or individual budini (custards); tart makes
8 servings
/4 cup (2 oz / 55 g) unsalted butter, at room
temperature

/4 cup (1.8 oz / 50 g) sugar

3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

2 cups (17.5 oz / 500) homemade or canned
pumpkin pure
Scant 1/2 cup (4 oz / 115 g) milk
1 tablespoon (0.4 oz / 12 g) potato starch or
all-purpose flour
Grated zest of 1 lemon
/ cup (2 oz / 60 g) rum or Cognac

1 4

10-inch partially baked tart shell (pasta frolla I, II,

or III, pages 320323)
3 partially baked tartlet shells (optional)

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Cream the butter and sugar by hand with

a wooden paddle or spoon or by electric
mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg
yolks, one at a time, beating thoroughly
after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin,
milk, flour, lemon zest, and rum. Beat the
egg whites until the peaks are stiff. Fold a
quarter of the egg whites into the pumpkin mixture, and then gently fold in the
remaining whites. Pour the filling into the
tart shell to within 1/2 inch of the top. Pour
the remaining filling either into the tartlet
shells or into buttered ramekins.
Baking. Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake
until the filling is set, about 50 minutes
for the tart, about 30 to 35 minutes for the
tartlets, and about 35 to 45 minutes for
the custards. Cool completely on a rack.

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Fiel_9781607741060_xp_all_r1.indd 334

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Crostate

335

Torta di Pere Pear Tart

The top crust of this wonderfully rustic pear tart from Piedmont shifts and settles and
even cracks over the pears beneath it like dry land after an earthquake. The slightly
gritty texture of the cornmeal pastry makes a wonderful contrast to the smooth pears
underneath. There is something elementally soothing and satisfying about this downto-earth dessert.
Makes one 8 1/2-inch tart; 8 servings

By Mixer

Dough

Cream the butter and sugar with the

paddle until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating
thoroughly after each addition. Sift in the
flour, cornmeal, and salt, and mix at low
speed; continue mixing until the dough
comes together. Knead lightly on a floured
surface until the dough is no longer sticky.

1 stick plus 21/2 tablespoons (5.3 oz / 150 g)

unsalted butter, at room temperature
(cold if using a food processor)
/ cup (5.3 oz / 150 g) sugar

3 4

3 large egg yolks

About 11/2 cups minus one tablespoon
(7 oz / 200 g) all-purpose flour
3

/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3.5 oz / 100 g) fine

yellow cornmeal, preferably organic

1 teaspoon (0.2 oz / 5 g) salt

By Hand
Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until
well blended. Add the egg yolks, one
at a time, mixing thoroughly after each
addition. Sift the flour, cornmeal, and salt
over the mixture and stir just until the
dough comes together. Knead lightly on
a floured surface until the dough is no
longer sticky.

By Processor
Place the flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar in
a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Cut the cold butter into small pieces and
scatter over the flour. Process with three
or four pulses until the mixture resembles
coarse meal. Beat the egg yolks lightly.With
the machine running, pour the egg yolks
in a steady stream through the feed tube
and process just until the dough comes
together.You may need to add a little
ice-cold water. Stop the machine as soon
as the dough masses on top of the blade.
Overprocessing will make a tough dough.
continued

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336

The Italian Baker

Torta di Pere, continued

Chilling. Gather the dough into a ball,
wrap it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate
for 20 minutes to 1 hour.
Filling
2 cups (1 lb / 450 g) full-bodied red wine; a Barolo
or cabernet sauvignon would be perfect
/ cup (1.8 oz / 50 g) sugar

1 4

3 whole cloves
3 thin strips lemon zest
/ to 1 teaspoon (0.06 to 0.1 oz / 2 to 2.5 g) ground
cinnamon

3 4

Cornmeal or finely ground cookie or cake crumbs,

for sprinkling (optional)
3 large peeled cooking pears (2 lb / 900 g, weighed
after peeling), cut into fat slices and then cut
crosswise in half
1 large egg, beaten, for the egg wash

Heat the wine, sugar, cloves, lemon zest,

and cinnamon to a boil in a nonreactive
saucepan. Gently boil until reduced to
11/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Stir in the
pears and cook over medium heat until
tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the pears;
discard the cloves, lemon peel, and cooking
liquid. Cool to room temperature.
Shaping. Cut the dough in half and
return half to the refrigerator.This is a very
delicate dough. Lightly sprinkle flour on
your work surface and then lay one or two

Fiel_9781607741060_xp_all_r1.indd 336

pieces of plastic wrap on it. Put the dough

on the plastic wrap and cover it with a
second layer of plastic wrap.This protects
the dough as you roll it with your rolling
pin into a circle 1/4 inch thick. Butter
an 8 1/2-inch tart pan very thoroughly.
Remove the top layer of plastic, gently
lift the dough up by the bottom piece of
plastic wrap, and then carefully invert it
into the prepared pan before removing
the remaining plastic wrap.Trim the edge.
Build up the edge of the bottom pastry
with the trimmings rolled into one or two
coils and flattened onto the edge, so that
the edge is substantial enough for the top
pastry to be attached.
Filling and Top Crust. I sometimes
sprinkle a very little cornmeal or cookie
or cake crumbs on the bottom of the tart
shell to soak up the juices from the pears.
Spoon the drained pears into the tart
shell. Again using plastic wrap, roll out the
remaining dough into a 1/4-inch-thick
circle and place over the pan.Trim the
overhanging dough, press the two edges
together, and crimp decoratively. Lightly
brush the pastry with the beaten egg.
Baking. Preheat the oven to 375F.
Bake until golden, 40 minutes. Cool on a
rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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356

The Italian Baker

Torta Speziata Spice Cake

Spice cake, Italian style, is very moist and tender and is delicious with rum-flavored
whipped cream.
Makes one 8-inch cake
2

/3 cup (3.5 oz / 100 g) raisins

7 tablespoons (3.5 oz / 100 g) unsalted butter,

at room temperature
/ cup (3.5 oz / 100 g) granulated sugar

1 2

1 large egg
12/3 cups (8.1 oz / 230 g) all-purpose flour
/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 oz / 60 g)
best-quality Dutch-process cocoa

2 teaspoons (0.4 oz / 10 g) baking powder

1 heaping teaspoon (0.1 oz / 3 g) ground
cinnamon
1 teaspoon (0.1 oz / 3 g) ground nutmeg
/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1
3

/4 teaspoon (0.13 oz / 3.5 g) salt

/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon (6.5 oz / 185 g) warm

strong brewed espresso, or 3 tablespoons
instant espresso powder dissolved in 3/4 cup
plus 1 teaspoon (6.5 oz / 185 g) hot water

Confectioners sugar

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Soak the raisins in warm water to cover

for 15 to 30 minutes; drain. Cream the
butter and granulated sugar with a wooden
paddle or electric mixer until light and
fluffy. Add the egg and beat thoroughly.
Sift all but 1 tablespoon of the flour, the
cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg,
cloves, and salt together. Beat in the flour
mixture alternately with the espresso in
three additions, beginning and ending
with the flour.Toss the raisins with the
remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and fold
into the batter.
Butter and flour an 8-inch cake pan;
pour the batter into the pan and smooth
the top.
Baking. Preheat the oven to 350F.
Bake until the cake shrinks slightly from
the side of the pan, 40 minutes; it should
still be slightly moist inside. Cool on a
rack. Invert the cake onto a serving plate
and sift confectioners sugar over the top.

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This book is for John, who has eaten it all.

Copyright 1985, 2011 by Carol Field.

Photographs copyright 2011 by Ed Anderson
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint
of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com
Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of
Random House, Inc.
Originally published in somewhat different form by Harper & Row Publishers, Inc.,
New York, in 1985.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication
Field, Carol.
The Italian baker : the classic tastes of the Italian countrysideits breads, pizza, focaccia,
cakes, pastries, and cookies / Carol Field ; photography by Ed Anderson. 1st rev. ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
1. BakingItaly. 2. BreadItaly. 3. PastryItaly. 4. Cooking, Italian. 5. Cookbooks. I. Title.
TX763.F53 2011
641.5945dc23
2011017004
ISBN: 978-1-60774-106-0
Printed in China
Design by Chloe Rawlins
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Revised Edition

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