desserts sardinian

Pai e Saba

Sardinian Christmas bread sweetened with cooked grape must, raisins, walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, and sugar strands.

Vegan Dairy-Free
Back to Recipes More Recipes
Prep 35 min
Cook 1h
Total 25h 35m
Servings 12
Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

Dough

Decoration

Need a different yield?

Open this recipe in the scaler to adjust servings and turn the ingredients into a grouped shopping list.

Scale this recipe

Instructions

  1. Dissolve the fresh yeast in a little warm water.

  2. Soak the raisins in cool water for 10 minutes, then drain and dry them well.

  3. Chop the walnuts and almonds into small pieces.

  4. Mix the flour, saba, dissolved yeast, cinnamon, and salt. Add the raisins and nuts and work until you have a soft, sticky dough.

  5. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 24 hours.

  6. Divide the dough into 4 small loaves. Place them on a lined baking sheet and bake at 200 C for about 1 hour, until set and deeply browned.

  7. While the loaves are still warm, brush generously with more saba and decorate with sugar strands, almonds, or orange peel.

  8. Cool fully before slicing. The texture improves after a rest.

Storage & Meal Prep

Wrap tightly and keep in a cool place for up to 1 week. Brush with a little extra saba before serving if the surface dries.

Variations

  • With Orange Peel: Add finely chopped dried orange peel to the dough or to the final decoration.
  • Smaller Loaves: Shape 4 smaller loaves if you want the bread to bake through more evenly.
  • More Nuts: Replace part of the raisins with extra almonds or walnuts for a less sweet loaf.

FAQ

What is saba?

Saba is cooked grape must reduced into a dark, sweet syrup. In Sardinia it is used in several winter and festival sweets.

Why does the dough rest for 24 hours?

The long rest lets the yeast work slowly in a heavy dough full of syrup, raisins, and nuts.

Is pai e saba a cake or bread?

It sits between the two: it is bread-shaped and yeast-raised, but sweetened and decorated like a Christmas dessert.

Interactive Nutrition Map

12 Servings

Customize Ingredients

Fruits
Raisins
200 g
Grains & Bread
All-Purpose Flour
400 g
Nuts & Seeds
Walnuts
200 g
Almonds
100 g
Herbs & Spices
Ground Cinnamon
5 g
Sweeteners
Cooked Grape Must Syrup (Vino Cotto / Saba)
320 g
White Sugar
30 g
Baking
Fresh Brewer's Yeast
25 g

Per Serving

421kcalCalories
9gProtein
66gCarbs
16gFat
4gFiber
Sodium
12mg1% DV
Potassium
387mg8% DV
Calcium
67mg5% DV
Iron
3mg17% DV
Magnesium
67mg16% DV
Vitamin C
0.6mg1% DV
Vitamin A*
0µg0% DV
Vitamin K
1.3µg1% DV
Folate
124µg31% DV
All-Purpose Flour
Cooked Grape Must Syrup (Vino Cotto / Saba)
Raisins
Walnuts
Almonds
Fresh Brewer's Yeast
Ground Cinnamon
White Sugar
* Nutrition is an estimate; actual values vary by ingredient brands and cooking methods. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Story Behind This Dish

In Sardinia, Pai e Saba belongs on the Sardinian home table. I build it around all-purpose flour, saba or cooked grape must, and raisins.

I dissolve the fresh yeast in a little warm water. I soak the raisins in cool water for 10 minutes, then drain and dry them well.

I while the loaves are still warm, brush generously with more saba and decorate with sugar strands, almonds, or orange peel. I cool fully before slicing. The texture improves after a rest.

Part of: The Sardinian Kitchen

Related: Sardinian Table: Real Meals | Sardinian Ingredients Guide