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Golden baked fig and walnut cake on a wooden board with one wedge cut, costmary leaves beside it

Cotizza Dolce di Berbenno with Erba di San Pietro and Figs

A yeasted fig, raisin and walnut cake from Valtellina, flavored with finely chopped erba di San Pietro (costmary) and baked in a 23 cm / 9-inch pan.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 10 wedges
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian (Northern Italy)
Calories: 204
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 300 g all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
  • 7 g instant dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 3 g fine salt (1/2 tsp)
  • 1 lemon zest lemon; finely grated
  • 140 ml whole milk lukewarm, about 35 C / 95 F
  • 1 egg large; room temperature
  • 60 g unsalted butter soft, plus 1 tsp for the pan
Filling
  • 100 g raisins
  • 100 g dried figs stems removed, chopped into 5 mm pieces
  • 30 ml grappa (2 tbsp); or dark rum
  • 60 ml warm water
  • 80 g walnuts roughly chopped
  • 8 leaves fresh erba di San Pietro leaves (about 4 g); finely chopped
Finish
  • 1 tbsp whole milk for brushing
  • 1 tbsp coarse sugar (12 g)

Method
 

  1. Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a 4-quart / 3.8 L bowl. Add the lukewarm milk and egg and mix until shaggy. Knead on a lightly floured counter for 5 minutes, add the soft butter in three pieces, then knead 5 more minutes until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky and springs back when pressed.
  2. Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and let it rise at about 24 C / 75 F for 60 minutes until doubled. While it rises, soak the raisins and chopped figs in the grappa and warm water for 15 minutes or longer, then drain well and pat dry on a towel.
  3. Punch down the dough and flatten it into a rough 25 x 20 cm rectangle. Scatter the fruit, walnuts and chopped erba di San Pietro over it, fold the dough over, and knead for 1 minute, dusting with a little flour, until the fruit is evenly spread.
  4. Butter a 23 cm / 9-inch springform pan and line the base with parchment. Shape the dough into a ball and press it edge to edge to a thickness of about 3 cm. Cover and let it rise for 40 minutes until puffy and slow to spring back when poked. Heat the oven to 180 C / 355 F for the last 15 minutes.
  5. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 35 minutes until deep golden and a thermometer in the center reads 93 C / 200 F. If the top is already dark at minute 25, tent it with foil.
  6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, release the springform, and move the cake to a wire rack. Let it cool for 20 more minutes so the crumb sets, then cut into 10 wedges with a serrated knife.

Notes

  • Weigh the costmary leaves. Over 4 g makes the whole cake taste bitter.
  • Drain and pat the soaked fruit dry before folding it into the dough.
  • Press the dough edge to edge in the pan for an even 3 cm layer.
  • Wait the full 30 minutes before slicing so the crumb sets.