Sicilian Buccellato (Fig and Nut Ring Pastry)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pastries doughnuts Medium

Sicilian Buccellato (Fig and Nut Ring Pastry)

A tender shortcrust ring wrapped around a spiced filling of dried figs, almonds, walnuts, raisins and chocolate. This is the Sicilian version, not the anise bread of Lucca. Makes 1 ring in about 5 hr 40 min.

Prep 60 min

Cook 40 min

Cooling 4 hr

Total 5 hr 40 min

Servings 12

Ingredients

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servings

4 cups (500 g)all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (170 g)powdered sugar, for the dough
¾ cup (170 g)lard or unsalted butter, cold, cubed
1 (50 g)eggs
¼ cup (65 ml)cold water
1 ½ tsp (3 g)lemon zest
¼ tsp (2 g)fine salt
2 ¾ cups (400 g)dried figs, stems removed
¾ cup (100 g)raisins
¾ cup (100 g)toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
7 tbsp (50 g)walnuts, coarsely chopped
⅔ cup (80 g)candied orange peel, chopped
2 oz (50 g)dark chocolate, chopped
¼ cup (60 ml)marsala wine
2 tsp (4 g)orange zest
¾ tsp (2 g)ground cinnamon
3 tbsp (60 g)honey
1 (18 g)egg yolk, beaten with 15 ml milk
¾ cup (100 g)powdered sugar, for the to finish
1 ½ tbsp (20 ml)lemon juice

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Instructions

Soak the figs and raisins in warm water with the Marsala for 1 hour, then drain well and finely chop or pulse in a food processor.
Mix the chopped fruit with the almonds, walnuts, candied peel, chocolate, orange zest, cinnamon and honey into a thick paste. Cover and refrigerate overnight so the flavors blend.
For the dough, rub the flour, sugar, lard and salt together until sandy. Add the egg, water and lemon zest and mix until it just comes together. Wrap and chill 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Roll the dough into a rectangle about 14 by 10 inches (35 by 25 cm), 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Shape the filling into a log along the long edge, then roll the dough around it and seal the seam.
Bend the log into a ring on the sheet, pinch the ends together, and cut shallow slashes along the top.
Brush with the egg yolk mixture and bake 35 to 40 minutes until golden. Cool on the sheet.
Whisk the powdered sugar with the lemon juice to a spreadable glaze and brush over the cooled ring. Let it set before slicing.

Tips

Make the filling a day ahead; the flavors are deeper.
Use cold fat for a tender, crumbly dough.
Seal the seam well so it does not open while baking.
Good with sweet wine or espresso.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make sicilian buccellato (fig and nut ring pastry)?

Plan on 60 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking, plus 4 hours to chill. The recipe makes 1 ring (12 servings).

How should I store sicilian buccellato (fig and nut ring pastry)?

Store covered at room temperature up to 10 days.

Can I make sicilian buccellato (fig and nut ring pastry) ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Serve it with sweet wine or espresso.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

550 Calories / serving

22.4g Fat

80.2g Carbs

7.9g Protein

42.4g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~6600 cal · 269g fat · 962g carbs · 95g protein · 509g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.