The modern version of Bussolano is a soft, ring or S-shaped cake that is light yellow and has the typical golden crust of a baked cake. The original version was much more like a hard, unleavened ring eaten by peasants and the lower classes. It was typical at Christmas, the most extravagant cake these people could afford. Originally, it was shaped directly on an oven tray, without using any mould. These days, butter is used but is a recent replacement for lard and, before that when lard was only available to the rich, the fat produced when cooking cotechino was used. Bussolano is now made with flour, yeast, egg, butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon rind. The smell is of vanilla and the taste, buttery. A cake weighs 600 to 800g.
Ingredients for 6 portions
350g fine white flour
1 packet yeast
150g sugar
1 tbsp. rum (or Maraschino)
100g butter
2 eggs
salt
Method
Mix the flour with the sugar and yeast, add the softened butter, eggs, liqueur and a pinch of salt. Butter and flour a ring-shaped cake mould and, having mixed the dough to the right texture, put into the mould. Bake for 40 minutes at 180°C.
Characteristics of the cake
Baked cake.
Baked at 250°C for 20 minutes.
Ring or S-shaped.
600-800g, 40-50cm diameter (ring).