Gubana Triestina con Slivovitz

Ingredients

• For the dough
• 500 g strong white flour
• 7 g instant dried yeast
• 80 g caster sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 80 g unsalted butter, softened
• 120 ml whole milk, warm
• 1 tsp fine salt
• For the filling
• 150 g walnuts, coarsely chopped, pre-toasted
• 50 g pine nuts, pre-toasted
• 100 g sultanas, soaked 2 hours in slivovitz, drained
• 60 g candied orange peel, finely diced
• 60 g bitter chocolate (70 %), shaved or coarsely grated
• ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
• 60 g apricot or plum jam, to bind the filling
• To finish
• 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
• 60 ml slivovitz, to pour at table over each slice

Method

1. 1
   Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs and warm milk; mix to a shaggy dough. Work in the softened butter in stages, kneading for 10–12 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the bowl. Shape into a ball, cover, and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume — the dough should hold a finger indentation without springing back.
2. 2
   Knock back the dough and leave it to rise a second time, covered, until again noticeably puffed and airy — approximately 45 minutes. This second rise builds the open crumb structure that will carry the weight of the dense filling without collapsing.
3. 3
   While the dough rises, prepare the filling. Combine the toasted walnuts, toasted pine nuts, drained sultanas, candied orange peel, bitter chocolate shavings, and nutmeg. Stir through the jam until the mixture coheres into a spreadable mass that holds its shape when pressed — it must not be wet or loose.
4. 4
   On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 40 × 30 cm. Spread the filling evenly to within 2 cm of the edges. Roll the dough up tightly along the long edge, maintaining firm, even pressure throughout, so the spiral will be visible and distinct after baking. This is where the dish lives or dies: a loose roll unwinds in the oven and the coil loses all form.
5. 5
   Coil the roll into a spiral inside a buttered round pan of approximately 24 cm diameter, beginning at the centre and working outward. Tuck the end under. Cover and leave to prove a third time until the dough is visibly puffed and the surface feels light and airy to a gentle press — approximately 40 minutes.
6. 6
   Brush the surface thoroughly with beaten egg wash. Bake at 180 °C for 40–45 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown, the spiral is visible and distinct, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the underside.
7. 7
   Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. At the table, pour a small splash of slivovitz over each slice; the spirit seeps into the filling as the diner eats. The aroma of warm walnut, chocolate, and plum spirit should rise immediately from the cut crumb.