To most people, baked gelato is an oxymoron. Though for the people of Bari, the capital of Puglia, it's a cherished specialty. Pastry chef Felice Lippolis created and presented the treat at the first edition of the Fiera del Levante, an annual local festival, in 1930, and dolce history was made.
Needless to say, the baked gelato recipe involves a rather intricate process, which calls for sandwiching “breaded gelato” between square-shaped sponge cakes – the original recipe uses Altamura bread, a must-eat when in Puglia. This stuffed dolce is then frozen. Once removed from the freezer, it's covered with batter, fried, and then frozen a second time. When serving it to customers, the confectioner adds a layer of meringue and bakes it for a couple of minutes, so that the meringue solidifies and the ice cream inside softens. The final touch? Candied fruit and caramel or chocolate sauce toppings.
Other local pasty chefs followed suit, and the specialty was eventually found at bakeries around town. Most likely due to its complexity, it's dwindled over the years, but you can still find it around town.
There's a saying in Bari that's sill spoken today: Spìitte ca mò hann'a menì le gelate do furne. (Wait until the baked gelato arrives.) It functions as an invitation for someone you're conversing with to stay and chat a little longer, waiting for something singular and exceptional.
If you're not heading to Puglia anytime soon, here's a modified version of the recipe so you can give it a try at home.
Bari-Style Baked Gelato Recipe
Ingredients
2 lb. strongly flavored ice cream, such as coffee
1 oz. powdered sugar
4 egg whites
sponge cake
liqueur to taste
Steps
Prepare a basic sponge cake. You can use this recipe or one of your own, or just buy one pre-made.
Cut the cake into several rectangles or squares – with the sides about 10 centimeters (4″) in height.
Transfer to a baking sheet and brush them with your favorite liqueur, then place the cake slices in the freezer for an hour.
Remove the sponge cake from the freezer and spread the ice cream on top of each, using a spatula or ice cream scoop, then place them back in the freezer for another hour or until the ice cream has hardened.
A few minutes before serving, whisk the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt. Add the powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Cover the ice cream with a square of sponge cake and the mixture and place in the hot oven, with the double function of heat and broiler turned on.
Let the squares bake for two or three minutes, and turn off as soon as the meringue begins to turn golden. Serve immediately.