Pan di San Gaudenzio

Pan di San Gaudenzio from the historic biscuit shop "Camporelli" in Novara

Every town in Italy no matter how big or small has its own public holiday to celebrate its patron saint. Shops, schools, banks are closed but the Basilica of the patron saint is open for mass. Novara's patron saint is San Gaudenzio, who was Novara's first archbishop  from 397 to 417, and is celebrated on the 22nd January.
 People  celebrate by wandering around the feast day  markets  in the chilly January air  while warming their fingers and stomachs with hot frittelle, roasted chestnuts or buying "pan di San Gaudenzio" which is prepared by local bakers in the days leading up to the 22nd January..

Pan di San Gaudenzio doesn't have a particularly long history, in fact it was created by some local bakers in the 1960s. Some say that the recipe is based on a type of bread that was commonly made by nuns and distibuted to the poor sometime before Easter until  a period in which convents were closed by Napeoleon. The nuns were forced to find hospitality in local homes during which time they shared  their recipes with their hosts.
I haven't found any information supporting this theory, it's just local hearsay.

Pan di San Gaudenzio is described as " soffice torta margherita circondata da un gustosa pasta frolla"
A light sponge wrapped in a tasty short crust.... Sometimes they are round but usually rectangle and about 5 cm deep.. I prefer to make mine a little shallower, 3 cm. Sometimes they have sultanas folded into the sponge and sometimes candied chestnuts. My favourite is the type that our neighbours in the biscuit shop Camporelli make...with candied chestnuts and candied chestnut cream spread on the base before adding the sponge..

This is my version

I made this recipe based on the description above and I've been told its not bad. This quantity makes a 26 cm round flan or a 36 cm x 12 cm rectangle flan tin.

Candied chestnuts

Set aside 100 g chopped candied chestnuts and 100 g candied chestnut cream and about 40 g chopped hazelnuts.

Pasta Frolla or Short Crust Pastry

250 g plain flour
175 g butter at room temperature
100 g sugar
2 small yolks (about 2)
grated lemon rind.

Sift the flour on a work surface and create a well in the middle.
Place the butter and the sugar in the well and work together with the finger tips until the butter and the sugar are well mixed and slightly creamy.
Add the eggs and grated lemon rind.
Gradually add the flour while continuing to mix with the finger tips until all of the ingredients are only just combined. Wrap in cling film or baking paper and place in frig for at least 30 mins.

After about 30 mins, roll the pastry to about 4mm thick and line the tin. Set aside while making the filling.
Preheat the oven to 180°c or 160°c fanforced.

Torta Margherita.....
is basically a sponge cake except that it has a much higher fat content from the egg yolks and the butter making it light and soft but with a close crumb. It keeps better too.

1 egg
2 yolks      both egg and yolks are from 60 g eggs and must be at room temperature
75 g sugar
40 g plain flour
35 g potato flour
30 g melted butter

Whisk egg, yolks and sugar on high speed until light and creamy. This takes about 10 minutes.

Sift both flours directly onto the egg mix and fold gently with a large slotted spoon if you have one or else use your hands.
Lastly add the melted butter and continue to fold the ingredients until everything is just combined..

Spread the candied chestnut cream inside the base of the tart and then sprinkle the chopped candied chestnuts on top of that.

Pour the Margherita mix on top of the chestnuts and then sprinkle the hazelnuts on last. If you like you can sprinkle some icing sugar on the top before it goes into the oven.

It takes about 25 mins to cook the pastry through. Any longer than that the sponge becomes too dry.
This is nice fresh with some chestnut gelato even if it isn't traditional.. Pan di San Gaudenzio keeps well if kept in an air-tight container..