-
1
Soak the raisins in the grappa for at least 30 minutes, so the fruit swells and absorbs the spirit's warmth and fragrance rather than remaining tight and raw at the centre. Drain thoroughly — press the raisins firmly against a sieve — and discard the liquid, because any grappa left clinging to the fruit will turn to steam in the oven and make the dough soggy from within.
-
2
Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over a moderate flame until fragrant and lightly coloured, so their bitterness softens and they smell of warm, roasted nuts rather than raw wood. Chop roughly, then combine with the drained raisins, pine nuts, sugar, grated lemon zest, cinnamon, and dark chocolate, working everything together to a rough, cohesive paste that holds its shape when pressed but releases no moisture to the touch.
-
3
Dissolve the fresh yeast in the warmed milk — the milk should feel barely warm against the wrist, not hot, so the yeast wakes gently without being killed before it can work. In a large bowl, combine the 00 flour, sugar, eggs, softened butter, and the yeast liquid; knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the bowl, 8 to 10 minutes by hand, adding milk sparingly only if the dough is stiff. Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour, until doubled in volume.
-
4
On a lightly floured surface, roll the risen dough to a thin rectangle, then spread the filling evenly over the surface, leaving a 2 cm border on all sides so the filling does not spill and seal the edge shut during rolling. This is where the dish lives or dies: roll the dough into a log starting from the long edge, but keep the roll loose rather than tight, so the interior has room to rise and the filling stays in distinct layers rather than being crushed into a single dense seam.
-
5
Coil the log into a snail shape — spiralling from the centre outward — on a lined baking tray, tucking the outer end gently underneath so it does not unravel during proving. Leave to prove for 30 to 45 minutes; the coil should look visibly puffed and slightly relaxed at the edges, a sign the dough is live and will open into a light crumb in the oven.
-
6
Heat the oven to 175 °C, then brush the surface of the gubana evenly with beaten egg wash so the crust bakes to a deep, lacquered amber rather than a dull, floury finish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the colour is a rich amber across the entire surface — not pale gold — and a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the coil comes out without raw dough clinging to it.
-
7
Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing, so the filling sets firm and each slice holds its concentric rings of walnut-raisin filling cleanly against the golden bread. The gubana keeps for 5 to 7 days tightly wrapped; the filling flavours meld with the bread as it rests.