Savoury ring cake with Culatello di Zibello PDO

More commonly prepared as a sweet treat, the ring cake also adapts perfectly to savory recipes for aperitifs with friends, or office lunch times with colleagues. Easy to make, delicious and super versatile, it can be served as a complete meal in itself that will be appreciated by adults and children alike. This savory ring cake recipe with culatello is just what you need as a starter for Sunday lunch or even as a one course dinner for your family.

The essential ingredient in this recipe is Culatello di Zibello PDO: the sweet, refined taste of this cold cut lends itself perfectly to this ring cake recipe. The addition of Fontina cheese balances the flavors out perfectly, creating a truly winning dish!

The Recipe:

To make this savory ring cake with Culatello di Zibello PDO, you must first prepare the dough: dissolve the yeast in a glass of warm water. Place the flour on a work surface, form a well in the middle of the mound, then place the salt, pepper and dissolved yeast into it. Using your hands, start kneading the dough. Add more water as you go, a little at a time, to obtain an even, smooth dough. Place the dough in a bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in volume. This may take a couple of hours or more.

Whilst the dough is resting, hard-boil the eggs and dice them. Cut the Culatello di Zibello PDO into thin strips and dice the cheese. When the dough has risen enough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin and arrange the Culatello di Zibello PDO, cheese and hard boiled eggs all over the surface. Roll up the dough trying to keep it as tight as possible. Place the twisted roll into a greased ring cake tin.

Let the dough rise for the second time in its tin, for a further two hours. Preheat the oven to 350° F. 

Brush the surface with an egg yolk mixed with a little milk and bake for 60 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.