Dessert of the Brescia tradition, the bossolà has the shape of a donut. Which is why many assimilate it to bisulan Mantua or al they knock Cremonese, but unlike these it is decidedly softer and fluffier. Typical of the Christmas holidays, a Brescia and surroundings can be found since the day of All Saints. And in the Veneto pastry shop of Iginio Massari, even all year round, because as the master says "if a dessert is good, why eat it only for such a short period of the year?".

Some say it was the Venetians to bring this dessert to town, others claim it has even more ancient origins. According to the most accredited version, the term bossolà derives from the Celtic bés' mbesolàt, what does it mean coiled snake. This auspicious symbol refers to the idea of ​​power and rebirth and is present in many legends and tales of the Brescia valleys.

Made from eggs, butter and flour, the bossolà requires one rather long processing, but the result pays off for the time it took to prepare this dessert from texture of a cloud. Massari's recipe includes five phases of dough processing and almost seven hours of leavening. But there is also a simplified home version.

The ingredients for the bossolà (14 people)

First dough
white flour (0 or 00) 135 g
granulated sugar 40 g
butter 40 g
brewer's yeast 40 g
1 egg

Second dough

white flour (0 or 00) 260 g
granulated sugar 50 g
butter 50 g
2 eggs

Third dough

white flour (0 or 00) 500 g
granulated sugar 150 g
butter 145 g
salt 7 g
vanillin 5 g
6 eggs

Preparation

First dough

Pour the flour on the pastry board, make a fountain and put the crumbled yeast in the center, dissolved in a little warm water, the softened butter, an egg and the sugar. Work the dough well until it is dry and supple. Make a ball and place it in a floured bowl, cover it with a napkin and put it in a warm place, leaving it rise for about an hour.

Second dough

Mix the flour and sugar, make the fountain and pour in the eggs and the softened butter, knead well, add to the first leavened dough and work all vigorously for about 15 minutes. Make a ball again and drop it rise for 2-3 hours.

Third dough

Mix the flour, sugar, salt and vanilla, make a fountain, pour the eggs, the softened butter in the center and work for a few minutes, then add the leavened dough and manipulate vigorously all for about 15 minutes, beating the dough vigorously on the pastry board. Place it in a pan and leave it rise again for half an hour. After that put in a preheated oven at 190 ° and bake for 40-50 minutes.

Once ready, the bossolà must be garnished with a beautiful sprinkled with powdered sugar and served cold. Ideal for breakfast or as an afternoon snack, its rustic flavor goes wonderfully with milk and even better with tea. At the end of the meal, as a dessert, it can be paired with sweet or fortified white wines.

Photo credits: the Bossolà by Iginio Massari

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