Pinza Bolognese
A traditional Bolognese sweet pastry roll packed with dark plum mostarda, baked until golden with a crunchy sugar crust.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 310 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking tray
- •Baking parchment
- •Rolling pin
- •Pastry brush
- •Mixing bowl
- •Wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- fat
- 10 g
- carbs
- 52 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 310 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl with the salt and caster sugar.
- 2
Rub in the softened butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- 3
Add the eggs and lemon zest, mixing gently to form a soft, smooth dough.
- 4
Wrap the dough in baking parchment and rest in the fridge for thirty minutes.
- 5
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
- 6
Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment into an oblong five millimetres thick.
- 7
Spread the mostarda bolognese evenly over the pastry, leaving a two-centimetre clean border around the edges.
- 8
Fold the two long pastry edges inwards over the filling so they overlap slightly in the centre.
- 9
Transfer the log seam-side down to the baking tray and brush the top with beaten egg glaze.
- 10
Scatter the pearl sugar over the surface and bake for thirty-five minutes until deep golden brown.
- 11
Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing diagonally into thick fingers.
Chef's tips
If authentic mostarda bolognese is unavailable, choose a dense, tart plum or damson jam to avoid boiling over. Roll the dough evenly so the pastry cooks through without becoming soggy from the fruit preserve. Let the pinza cool entirely before slicing to prevent the filling from spilling out.
Ingredient substitutions
- mostarda bolognese → thick, tart plum or damson jam mixed with a dash of orange zest
- pearl sugar → coarse demerara sugar or granulated sugar
Storage
Store sliced pinza in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to five days.
Reheating
Enjoy at room temperature, or warm slices gently in a 150C oven for five minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using runny jam, which boils over the sides and burns onto the baking tray.
- •Overworking the pastry dough, which makes the baked crust tough rather than tender.
- •Slicing the pinza while still warm, causing the soft preserve filling to run out.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Pinza Bolognese?
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