Torta di Pane

This is a classic bread pudding cake from Ticino, with as many versions as there are Nonnas in the canton.

Like other inherited recipes (Capuns or Cholera come to mind), every household has their own take on what makes it best.

It is wonderfully versatile—the one pictured here holds many of our leftover Christmas treats, like chocolate, candied peel and even Christmas cookies.

Historically, it was baked in Ticino’s communal oven’s and served at local festivals. A peasant food, which was important for using up leftover white bread.

Some recipes soak the bread (or for that matter the dried fruit) for a long time, but I find if you warm the milk, you only need to soak it about an hour to get similar results.

In my favourite season of Landfrauenküche (2014, because of Janine Fischer, the Canadian contestant with the most magnificent accent, and my chef hero Stefan Wiesner who shows up during the final), the Landfrau from Ticino, Tanja Bisacca, makes her version of Torta di Pane using chocolate milk mix instead of cocoa.

Other notable recipes include the one from the Ti Saluto Ticino blog (which is a wonderful resource for any travels to the Italian part of the country, as they post about regional restaurants and dishes), from Schweizer Brot, and from Ticino tourism, who provide a little history as well.

For the bread mixture:

800 ml milk

vanilla and salt

300 g leftover bread, cubed

handful of amaretti or other cookies, crushed

For the dried fruit:

200 g raisins

generous pour of grappa, other spirit, or warm tea

For the batter:

the rind of one orange

squeeze of orange juice

cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg

50 g cocoa powder

50 g dark chocolate, chopped

50 g candied orange peel

100 g ground almonds

100 g sugar

2 eggs

100 g pine nuts (or almonds, chopped)

In a large pot, bring the milk, vanilla and salt to a simmer, then remove from heat.

Add the cubed bread and cookies.

Cover and let sit for about an hour.

Let raisins soak in booze or tea until they are plumped (about an hour).

Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F / gas mark 4.

Grease a 26 cm (10 inch) springform pan.

Uncover the milky bread mixture and mush it all together with a fork. Add the soaked raisins with a shot or two of the booze, orange rind and juice, seasonings, spices, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, candied peel and ground almonds.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Gently add this to the bread mixture and mix well.

Spread the bread mixture into your prepared pan.

Sprinkle the top with pine nuts (or chopped almonds).

Bake for about one hour.