On pistiddu
Description
Su pistiddu is a typical Sardinian dessert that is traditionally prepared for the feast of Sant’Antonio Abate.
Su pistiddu, or sweet pistiddu, is popular in Barbagia , a region in the province of Nuoro where different versions exist depending on the town you visit. Its distinctive feature, in addition to the honey or cooked wine syrup filling (or both) that smells of orange, is the pastry that forms the surface of the cake, which is richly decorated and makes it truly spectacular. Its preparation, held on the feast of Sant’Antonio Abate, is long and laborious as the filling, su pistiddu, requires a very long cooking time. We present a simplified version that you can make at home.
Discover all the secrets of the su pistiddu recipe.
Ingredients
to recalculate the ingredient amounts
For the dough
- Semolina 500 g
- Arborea butter 100 g
- Sugar 100 g
- Baking powder 16 g
- Water q.b.
- Salt 1 pizzichi
For the filling
- Honey or cooked must sapa 500 g
- Semolina 100 g
- Orange zest 3 g
- Saffron 0.16 g
Instructions
- 1 The first step in making su pistiddu is to prepare the filling, using either honey or cooked must sapa (whichever you prefer). Pour it into a small saucepan with the grated orange zest and bring to a boil. Then, slowly add the durum wheat semolina and whisk until the mixture reaches the consistency of jam. Turn off the heat, add the sachet of saffron, stir, and let the filling cool. Once it's semi-solid, cut portions into flat discs about 15-18 cm in diameter. Alternatively, you can divide the filling between several plastic plates and let it solidify.
- 2 Make the dough by mixing the durum wheat semolina, butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add warm water (about 200 ml) and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic, but not too soft. Shape it into a ball and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- 3 After half an hour, take the dough and roll it out on a floured surface, creating discs about 20 cm in diameter using a round pastry cutter.
- 4 Spoon a little filling into the center of half of the discs you've made, while decorating the other half with a fluted pastry wheel. Cover the discs with the filling with the decorated ones and press the edges firmly to seal.
- 5 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake the pistiddu for about 20 minutes. Let them cool before enjoying.
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