San Gaudenzio Bread: the symbolic sweet of Novara celebrated on January 22!
The San Gaudenzio bread is a typical dessert from Novara, linked to the ancient Piedmontese traditions and the feast of the patron saint of the city, celebrated every year on January 22.
A significant occasion for the people of Novara, combining faith, history, and local gastronomy.
During the feast of San Gaudenzio, the city comes to a halt, many shops remain closed, and the community gathers for the celebration at the majestic Basilica of San Gaudenzio, the undisputed symbol of Novara. The streets in the city center come alive with stalls and irresistible aromas, including roasted chestnuts, fritters, and, of course, the famous San Gaudenzio bread.
Despite its name, this sweet has nothing to do with bread.
It is, in fact, a traditional Piedmontese recipe with ancient origins dating back to the 13th century, around the 1200s.
A dessert that tells centuries of history and is still prepared and enjoyed during the celebrations today.
San Gaudenzio bread consists of a shortcrust pastry shell that encloses a soft filling.
After baking, the filling should reach the edge of the pastry shell, though in my case, the dessert rose quite a bit (even without yeast!).
For this reason, I recommend leaving a slightly higher pastry edge, about three fingers wide, to achieve a perfect result.
This typical Novara dessert can be made in different shapes, round, rectangular, or in the shape of a plumcake. Traditionally, it is filled with raisins but is also suitable for more indulgent variations, like chocolate chips, which I chose for my version.
Before baking, it can be enriched with pine nuts or hazelnut sprinkles, or left simple and dusted with powdered sugar after baking.
I chose hazelnut sprinkles and a final dusting of powdered sugar, and the result was truly exceptional.
A simple yet uniquely flavored dessert that perfectly represents the traditions of Novara and the warmth of its celebrations.
If you find yourself in Novara on January 22, you must taste it, and if you make it at home, you will discover an authentic piece of Piedmontese history.
Approx. 429 Kcal per person
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Piedmont
- Seasonality: Winter
Ingredients to make San Gaudenzio Bread
- 1 egg yolk
- 8.5 tbsp butter (soft)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla (liquid)
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs (medium)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 5.5 tbsp butter (soft)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup raisins (or dark chocolate)
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp chopped hazelnuts (or pine nuts)
Tools
- 1 Baking Pan Springform Pan
Preparation of San Gaudenzio Bread
First, let’s prepare the shortcrust pastry by combining all the ingredients to make it and mixing the dough well until you get a well-kneaded ball.
Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour, or if you’re in a hurry, freeze for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling and separate the eggs into whites and yolks in different bowls (the bowl for the whites should be larger), add sugar to the yolks and beat them with a whisk, also beat the whites separately until frothy.
Now combine the yolks with the beaten egg whites, working everything by hand from this point.
Put the flour in a bowl and in another small bowl put the chocolate chips with a tablespoon of flour (taken from the total) and mix aside.
Sift the flour into the prepared mixture and mix gently by hand, finally add the chocolate with all the flour and mix well again.
Finally, add the softened butter and continue mixing until the mixture has well absorbed all the ingredients.
Line a 8-9.5 inch diameter mold with parchment paper (I used a 9.5 inch one), obviously, if the pan is smaller, the cake will be taller, and if it’s wider, it will be shorter.
I used a springform pan to make it easier to remove the cake.
Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a sheet of parchment paper, then flip it into the pan and mold with your hands to cover the base well and let the pastry rise on the sides about three fingers wide.
At this point, pour the filling mixture into the pan with the pastry, level it, and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts or pine nuts (if you like) and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 50 minutes, checking the cooking.Each baking can vary for different ovens, maybe a mixture that has absorbed more or less flour, so it’s better to check at a certain point with a wooden skewer to verify the baking.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and wait until it cools before removing it from the pan.
Once cooled, transfer it to a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar… enjoy and bon appétit.
