A tall ring of soft, buttery yeast dough rolled around a sweet filling of walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds bound with a Marsala-scented sugar syrup. It is finished with a thick white icing meant to look like snow on the mountain tops. Makes 14 servings in about 8 hr 40 min.
Prep50 min
Cook50 min
Cooling3 hr
Total
8 hr 40 min
Servings
14
Ingredients
Adjust yield
servings
Scales from a half to a double batch. Laminated and yeasted doughs are easiest to handle one batch at a time; bake extra pans in rounds.
4 cups (500 g)all-purpose flour, plus a little for the pan
½ cup (100 g)granulated sugar
¼ oz (7 g)instant yeast, 2 1/4 tsp
½ cup (120 ml)whole milk, lukewarm
3(150 g)eggs, large, room temperature
2 tsp (4 g)lemon zest, finely grated, from 1 lemon
1 tsp (6 g)salt, 1 tsp fine salt
⅔ cup (140 g)unsalted butter, softened, plus a little for the pan
½ cup (100 g)sugar, granulated
2 ½ tbsp (40 ml)water
¾ cup (100 g)walnuts, finely chopped
⅔ cup (75 g)hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and finely chopped
⅔ cup (75 g)blanched almonds, toasted and finely chopped
In a stand mixer bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and instant yeast. Add the whole milk, eggs and lemon zest and knead with the dough hook on low until a soft dough forms, about 4 minutes. Add the salt, then the unsalted butter a little at a time, and knead on medium-low until smooth, glossy and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 2 hours.
Meanwhile make the filling. Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then boil 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the walnuts, hazelnuts, blanched almonds and dry Marsala and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and fold it into the cooled nut mixture.
Butter and flour the tube pan generously. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 18 x 12-inch (45 x 30 cm) rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over it, leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) border along one long side.
Roll the dough up tightly from the filled long side, pinch the seam closed and lay the log in the pan seam side up, pressing the two ends together to close the ring.
Cover and let it rise until the dough nearly reaches the rim of the pan, about 1 1/2 hours. About 20 minutes before the end, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bake until deep golden brown and a thermometer in the thickest part reads 190°F (88°C), 45 to 50 minutes; lay foil loosely over the top if it browns too fast.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, set it right side up (the browned top facing up) and let it cool completely, about 2 hours.
For the icing, stir the powdered sugar and lemon juice into a thick, smooth paste. Spread it over the top of the cooled ring, letting it run down the sides in places, and let it set for 20 minutes before slicing.
Tips
Cool the nut syrup fully before folding in the egg white, or the white will deflate.
A thick icing gives the classic snowy peaks; add lemon juice only a few drops at a time.
Some Mantuan bakers swap part of the nuts for chestnut cream or chocolate; the classic filling is nuts and Marsala.
Good with a glass of Lambrusco Mantovano or a cappuccino.
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How long does it take to make anello di monaco (mantuan nut-filled ring bread)?
Plan on 50 minutes of prep and 50 minutes of cooking, plus 7 hours to rise and rest. The recipe makes 14 servings.
How should I store anello di monaco (mantuan nut-filled ring bread)?
Keep covered at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze un-iced for up to 1 month and ice after thawing.
Can I make anello di monaco (mantuan nut-filled ring bread) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Anello di Monaco is a Christmas specialty of Mantua, credited to a Swiss pastry maker who opened a shop there in the late 1800s and adapted the Central European kugelhopf with a filling of nuts, sugar and Marsala. Serve it with a glass of Lambrusco Mantovano or a cappuccino.
Variations
Bite-size rings: fill and roll as directed, cut into 12 slices, bake in a buttered muffin pan 20 to 25 minutes after a 45-minute rise.
Marsala-free: replace the Marsala with 2 tbsp (30 ml) orange juice; method unchanged.
Raisin filling: add 1/2 cup (75 g) raisins to the nut filling; bake time unchanged.
Make-ahead: refrigerate the kneaded dough overnight (8 to 12 hours); allow 2 to 2 1/2 hours for the shaped rise.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 14 servings this recipe makes.
236Calories / serving
11.9gFat
29.1gCarbs
5.1gProtein
26.1gSugar
Whole recipe (14 servings):
~3304 cal ·
167g fat ·
407g carbs ·
71g protein ·
365g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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