Hand-wrapped artisanal Easter Pigna Molisana

The Pigna Molisana, also known as Easter Bread, Sweet Pizza, Piccellat, Mpigna or Turmente, is a leavened cake traditionally prepared during the Easter period in the Molise area and beyond: initially, the Pigna was a recipe from Ciociaria, but it spread to Campania, Molise, and Abruzzo. It is a truly special cake: to look at it, it resembles a ring cake or a panettone, but it all depends on the shape you decide to give it. Tradition dictates that the Pigna is made with natural yeast: already during the Kingdom of Naples, the hard dough was worked by the hands of several women who took turns throughout the entire process. From the start of the preparation to the finished product, it took almost 4 days. Today, instead of sourdough, powdered yeast is used, which has caused the loss of the goodness and purity the cake once had. However, the Rosa Maria Vittoria Bakery uses sourdough with a slow fermentation that lasts from 30 to 48 hours. A true rarity!