Name: Pitta ’mpigliata
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 12 portions (One 28 cm cake.)
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500 g Durum wheat flour; 120 g Caster sugar (Pastry: 100 g. Shaping: 20 g for the pastry strips.); 100 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 110 ml Vermouth (Pastry: 100 ml. Glaze: 10 ml.); 75 ml Orange juice (Pastry: 25 ml, freshly squeezed. Filling: 50 ml.); 25 ml Mandarin juice (freshly squeezed); 27.5 ml Anise liqueur (Pastry: 15 ml. Filling: 12.5 ml, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 50 ml).); 27.5 ml Grappa (Pastry: 15 ml, Paisanella or a similar grappa. Filling: 12.5 ml, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 50 ml).); 27.5 ml Herbal liqueur (Pastry: 15 ml, Strega. Filling: 12.5 ml, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 50 ml).); 2 g Ground cinnamon (Pastry: 1 g, ground. Filling: 1 g, ground.); 2 g Ground cloves (Pastry: 1 g, ground. Filling: 1 g, ground.); 16 g Baking powder; 2 g Fine salt; 250 g Walnut kernels (coarsely chopped); 200 g Blanched almonds (toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped); 200 g Sultanas (dry weight before soaking); 300 ml Water (for the raisins; drain and discard); 12.5 ml Mandarinetto (Filling: 12.5 ml, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 50 ml).); 50 g Orange blossom honey (Filling: 25 g. Glaze: 25 g.); 40 ml Olive oil (Filling: 20 ml. Shaping: 20 ml for the tin and pastry strips.)

Keep the nut pieces small enough to sit inside the strips without tearing them. For larger quantities divide dough and filling between additional 28 cm tins, keeping the pastry thin and the roses open at the top.

Make ahead Prepare the nuts and drained raisins before rolling. Let the baked pitta cool in its tin so the roses and supporting base settle together.

By Italia Magnifica · Updated October 2026

Prep: 1 hr 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Rest: 2 hr
Yield: 12 portions (One 28 cm cake.)
Difficulty: Hard

Pitta ’mpigliata

Prep 1 hr 15 min · Cook 45 min · Rest 2 hr · Yield 12 portions (One 28 cm cake.) · Difficulty Hard

Ingredients

Skip to the method

12 portions (One 28 cm cake.)

Pastry

500 g4 cups
Durum wheat flour
120 g⅔ cup
Caster sugarPastry: 100 g. Shaping: 20 g for the pastry strips.Pastry: 3½ oz. Shaping: ¾ oz for the pastry strips.
100 ml½ cup
Extra virgin olive oil
110 ml½ cup
VermouthPastry: 100 ml. Glaze: 10 ml.Pastry: ½ cup. Glaze: 2 tsp.
75 ml⅓ cup
Orange juicePastry: 25 ml, freshly squeezed. Filling: 50 ml.Pastry: 1¾ tbsp, freshly squeezed. Filling: 3½ tbsp.
25 ml1¾ tbsp
Mandarin juicefreshly squeezedfreshly squeezed
27.5 ml1¾ tbsp
Anise liqueurPastry: 15 ml. Filling: 12.5 ml, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 50 ml).Pastry: 1 tbsp. Filling: 2½ tsp, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 3½ tbsp).
27.5 ml1¾ tbsp
GrappaPastry: 15 ml, Paisanella or a similar grappa. Filling: 12.5 ml, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 50 ml).Pastry: 1 tbsp, Paisanella or a similar grappa. Filling: 2½ tsp, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 3½ tbsp).
27.5 ml1¾ tbsp
Herbal liqueurPastry: 15 ml, Strega. Filling: 12.5 ml, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 50 ml).Pastry: 1 tbsp, Strega. Filling: 2½ tsp, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 3½ tbsp).
2 g¾ tsp
Ground cinnamonPastry: 1 g, ground. Filling: 1 g, ground.Pastry: 1 g, ground. Filling: 1 g, ground.
2 g2 g
Ground clovesPastry: 1 g, ground. Filling: 1 g, ground.Pastry: 1 g, ground. Filling: 1 g, ground.
16 g1¼ tbsp
Baking powder
2 g⅓ tsp
Fine salt

Filling

250 g9 oz
Walnut kernelscoarsely choppedcoarsely chopped
200 g7 oz
Blanched almondstoasted, cooled and coarsely choppedtoasted, cooled and coarsely chopped
200 g7 oz
Sultanasdry weight before soakingdry weight before soaking
12.5 ml2½ tsp
MandarinettoFilling: 12.5 ml, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 50 ml).Filling: 2½ tsp, one quarter of the equal-parts liqueur blend (total blend: 3½ tbsp).
50 g1¾ oz
Orange blossom honeyFilling: 25 g. Glaze: 25 g.Filling: 1 oz. Glaze: 1 oz.
40 ml2¾ tbsp
Olive oilFilling: 20 ml. Shaping: 20 ml for the tin and pastry strips.Filling: 1¼ tbsp. Shaping: 1¼ tbsp for the tin and pastry strips.

Soaking

300 ml1¼ cups
Waterfor the raisins; drain and discardfor the raisins; drain and discard

Equipment

28 cm round cake tin
Rolling pin
Fluted pastry wheel
Small saucepan
Mixing bowls
Kitchen scale

Method

Soak the sultanas in the soaking water for 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze well. Mix with the chopped walnuts, toasted almonds, filling juice, mixed liqueurs, filling spices, filling honey and filling oil. Cover while making the pastry.Soak the sultanas in the soaking water for 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze well. Mix with the chopped walnuts, toasted almonds, filling juice, mixed liqueurs, filling spices, filling honey and filling oil. Cover while making the pastry.
Warm the pastry oil, citrus juices and sugar gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Take off the heat, let cool until lukewarm, then add the pastry vermouth, three liqueurs, cinnamon and cloves. Mix the flour with baking powder and salt, add the liquids and knead to a smooth, rollable dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.Warm the pastry oil, citrus juices and sugar gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Take off the heat, let cool until lukewarm, then add the pastry vermouth, three liqueurs, cinnamon and cloves. Mix the flour with baking powder and salt, add the liquids and knead to a smooth, rollable dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
Heat a static oven to 180°C. Use a little shaping oil to grease a 28 cm round tin. Roll about a quarter of the dough into a thin circle about 35 cm wide and line the base and lower sides. Roll the remaining dough about 2 mm thick. Brush lightly with the remaining shaping oil and sprinkle with the shaping sugar. Cut strips about 7 × 25 cm, re-rolling the scraps gently.Heat a static oven to 350°F. Use a little shaping oil to grease a 11 in round tin. Roll about a quarter of the dough into a thin circle about 13¾ in wide and line the base and lower sides. Roll the remaining dough about 2 mm thick. Brush lightly with the remaining shaping oil and sprinkle with the shaping sugar. Cut strips about 2¾ × 9¾ in, re-rolling the scraps gently.
Distribute the filling along the center of each strip. Fold the lower long edge up around the filling, leaving the nuts visible above it, then coil the strip into an open-topped rose. Place one in the center and the others around it, fitting about 16–18 roses without crushing them. Support the outer roses with the raised base pastry and trim only excess edges.Distribute the filling along the center of each strip. Fold the lower long edge up around the filling, leaving the nuts visible above it, then coil the strip into an open-topped rose. Place one in the center and the others around it, fitting about 16–18 roses without crushing them. Support the outer roses with the raised base pastry and trim only excess edges.
Bake for about 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the base is cooked and firm; extend a little if still pale underneath. Warm the glaze honey with the glaze vermouth just until fluid, then drizzle over the hot roses. Cool for about 90 minutes before removing from the tin and cutting into portions.Bake for about 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the base is cooked and firm; extend a little if still pale underneath. Warm the glaze honey with the glaze vermouth just until fluid, then drizzle over the hot roses. Cool for about 90 minutes before removing from the tin and cutting into portions.