The sweet focaccia of Badalucco is a simple, great tasting cake, made with very few ingredients. It is local to inland West Liguria, in particular the Argentina Valley, where in dialect it is called fugazza de Baauccu.
This cake is a simple recipe which was once prepared for grand events like weddings, baptisms and confirmations. Until a few decades ago, in fact, cakes and desserts were considered a real luxury that not everybody could afford.
The ingredients are easy to find: flour, sugar, butter (there is a version which uses oil), eggs, milk, raisins, pine nuts and lemon rind, when in season.
Nowadays, Badalucco focaccia can be found in village bakeries and the Municipality has given it the De.Co., the Municipal Designation of Origin.
Ingredients
Tools
Steps
Soak the raisins in a cup with warm water.
Mix the flour, yeast and sugar in a large bowl.
Add the butter, eggs (lightly beaten) and mix with a wooden spoon, adding a trickle of milk as you go. The dough must be soft and smooth.
Squeeze the raisins, flour and add to the mixture together with 3/4 of the pine nuts.
Blend the mixture a little more.
Butter and flour a baking tin (28/30 cm), pour the mixture in, brush with a small amount of milk and scatter with the remaining pine nuts.
Allow to rise in a sheltered place, covered, for at least an hour and a half.
Cook in a conventional oven at 180°C for 45 minutes.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When cooked, sprinkle while still hot with plenty of sugar and serve in squares.
How can I replace butter with extra virgin olive oil?
Use 80% of the butter in the recipe.
Varied doses for servings