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Golden coiled rocciata umbra dusted with powdered sugar, a cut slice showing walnuts and apple on a wood board.

Rocciata Umbra: Umbria's Rolled Apple Nut Pastry

A coiled Umbrian pastry of thin olive oil dough wrapped around spiced apples, walnuts, raisins, and figs, baked until deep gold.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian (Umbrian)
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 300 g flour 00 flour or all-purpose, sifted
  • 60 ml olive oil
  • 100 ml dry white wine or water
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
Filling
  • 600 g apples about 4 medium, peeled, cored, and diced small
  • 100 g walnuts roughly chopped
  • 50 g raisins soaked in rum or wine
  • 50 g dried figs chopped
  • 30 g pine nuts
  • 60 g sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 lemon zest from 1 lemon
  • 30 g dry breadcrumbs toasted in 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp rum for soaking raisins, or use more wine
Finishing
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for brushing
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Method
 

Make the Dough
  1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt together. Make a well in the center and pour in the olive oil and wine.
  2. Mix with a fork until shaggy, then turn onto a work surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with an upturned bowl and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Make the Filling
  1. Soak the raisins in the rum (or extra wine) for 15 minutes, then drain.
  2. Toast the breadcrumbs in 1 tbsp olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the diced apples, walnuts, drained raisins, figs, pine nuts, 60 g sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest, and cooled breadcrumbs. Toss until evenly coated.
Roll, Fill, and Bake
  1. Heat the oven to 180C / 350F and line a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch sheet pan with parchment.
  2. On a lightly floured cloth, roll the rested dough into a thin rectangle roughly 40 x 50 cm / 16 x 20 inch, thin enough to see the weave of the cloth through it.
  3. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 3 cm / 1-inch border on all sides.
  4. Starting from one long edge, roll the dough into a log using the cloth to guide it. Pinch the seam and ends closed.
  5. Curl the log loosely into a spiral (a chiocciola) on the prepared pan. Brush the top with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.
  6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is deep gold and sounds hollow when tapped. Tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes if it browns too fast.
  7. Cool on the pan for 15 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar and slice.

Notes

  • Rest the dough a full 30 minutes or it springs back when rolled.
  • Dice apples no bigger than 1 cm so the filling cooks evenly.
  • Drain soaked raisins well, excess liquid makes the dough soggy.
  • Coil the log loosely, tight spirals bake unevenly in the center.
  • Tent with foil if the top browns before 40 minutes are up.