Pasimata cake
Pasimata is a cake made with flour, eggs, and raisins that is traditionally prepared in Garfagnana for the Easter holidays. The name comes from the Latin word “pasimatum”, which means bread baked under ashes. It was once also prepared with saffron, which is why it was also called pangiallo. According to tradition, this leavened bread was prepared in time for the Holy Saturday Mass, where it was blessed along with eggs.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg durum wheat flour type 0
- 6 eggs
- 400g of sugar
- 200g of butter
- 250g of raisins
- 1 cube of yeast
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon of aniseed
- 1 glass of Vin Santo
- 1 sachet of baking powder
Morning of day 1: prepare the yeast with 100 grams of flour and the cube of brewer's yeast dissolved in warm water and keep at room temperature.
Evening of day 1: add 170 grams of flour, 1 egg, 30 grams of butter, 65 grams of sugar, water to taste, knead and let rise.
Morning of day 2: add 330 grams of flour, 2 eggs, 70 grams of butter, 135 grams of sugar, water to taste, knead and let rise.
Evening of day 2: add 500 grams of flour, 3 eggs, 100 grams of butter, 200 grams of sugar, salt and water to the dough. Soak the raisins in Vin Santo.
Morning of day 3: add the raisins, crushed and floured, the Vin Santo, a tablespoonful of aniseed and a sachet of baking powder to the dough; place the dough in 1 or 2 baking tins and leave to rise in a warm place. As an alternative to baking tins, the dough can be placed in the cardboard tins used for Christmas panettone.
Afternoon of day 3: when the dough has risen, heat the oven to 180 C° static and bake for 50 minutes. The pasimata taste best two or three days after baking.
