So-called because it’s derived from Buchteln, an Austrian pastry, Torta Danubio comprises a few dozen pillowy buns stuffed with a savory filling – kind of like a sealed sandwich. They're bunched together into a cluster, which becomes uniform during cooking, and you eat it simply by detaching the buns with your hands. Sweet and savory versions are available – this version contains prosciutto cotto and provolone.
Giovanni Scaturchio, a Neapolitan by way of Calabria, returned to his adopted city with his Austrian wife after fighting in World War I, and he's credited with having “invented” the Torta Danubio in 1920. The cake is incredibly popular come springtime – especially around Easter. Our recipe follows so you can try it at home.
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri
Torta Danubio Recipe
Skill Level: Intermediate
Time 1 hour and 15 minutes + 13 hours leavening
Recipe: Joëlle Néderlants
Ingredients for 35 buns
4 cups '0' or all-purpose flour
5 oz. prosciutto cotto
5 oz. provolone
3½ oz. butter
1 Tbsp. fresh brewer’s yeast
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
Mix the flour with 1 egg, sugar, soft butter, salt, and yeast dissolved in 7 oz. warm water, until uniform. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to about 1⁄2 cm. thick and cut out discs 3" in diameter. Knead the scraps again, roll out the dough and cut it out until it runs out. You should get 35.
Chop the ham and provolone, and mix together. Place a dollop of the mixture in the center of each
disc and close, shaping them into balls. Arrange them in concentric circles in a 9" springform pan, starting from the center.
Brush them with 1 beaten egg and let them rise in a covered place for 1 hour, until they’re all attached and form a cake. Brush it again with the egg and bake it at 350°F for around 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven, take out of the pan, and serve warm.