The Bisciola della Valtellina typical Christmas sweet and not only is little known outside Valtellina itself.
It is the Valtellinese panettone par excellence, with very ancient origins that according to history was born when Napoleon invaded northern Italy passing through Valtellina, but the same legend then tells that Napoleon was never in those parts.
Thus, the origins of the Bisciola della Valtellina typical sweet would be even more ancient and no written trace can be found because it is passed down from generation to generation only orally.
As you know, at Christmas and during other traditional holidays, all kinds of sweets are made, so I recommend trying the Bisciola della Valtellina because it is a very simple leavened dough to prepare and full of dried fruits.
If you like typical Christmas sweets, below are other ideas to try, and then right after the photo, let’s discover how to prepare the Valtellinese Bisciola!!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the Bisciola della Valtellina typical recipe
- 3 1/4 cups type 1 flour (or type 0)
- 3/4 cup buckwheat flour (or rye or a mix of both)
- 1/2 oz fresh yeast
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups walnut halves
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup dried figs
- as needed grappa (to soak raisins and figs)
- 5 tbsps butter
- 2/3 cup water
- 3 1/2 tbsps milk
- 1 tsp honey
Preparation of Bisciola della Valtellina typical sweet
To prepare the Valtellinese Bisciola, first sift the flours together, placing them in a bowl.
Soak the raisins and dried figs in grappa in a small bowl.
In the bowl with the flour, add the crumbled fresh yeast and knead with your hands, gradually adding water.
You should obtain a compact and smooth dough.
Let it rise, covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour.
After the time has passed, add the salt, squeeze the raisins and figs, and add them along with the coarsely chopped walnuts.
Incorporate the sugar, room temperature butter, and egg, and work with your hands to mix everything well.
Add a little milk if the dough is too hard, but it should be rustic and quite firm.
Once you have obtained a homogeneous and rather hard dough, divide it into 2 and form 2 small loaves in elongated shapes.
Let them rise in the turned-off oven with the light on or in a warm place covered with a damp cloth for at least 3 hours.
The volume of the Valtellinese Bisciole should double, and then brush them with honey.
Bake the Bisciola della Valtellina typical recipe on the middle rack of the preheated oven at 392°F for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 356°F and continue baking for another 15 minutes.
Finish baking the Valtellinese Bisciola at 302°F for the last 10/15 minutes, then remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack before slicing
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How to store the Bisciola della Valtellina typical sweet
You can store it in a tin box or an airtight container outside the fridge for 3 or 4 days.
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