Recipe of the week: Tirà, typical Piedmont carnival sweet

Tirà - a dessert native to Rocchetta Tanaro in the Asti province, in Piedmont – comes from a very old recipe. Its name originates from Tirà youth festivals where young men called for military draft during the Sardinian Piedmontese reign, after the 1815 Restoration of 1815 and, later, during the Kingdom of Italy until 1926.

The tiràgi or Al tiràj were parties during which new recruits were drawn; the event was accompanied by very felt and long-lasting celebrations involving the whole community, especially in the Monferrato which was tied to strong Savoyard traditions.

During the big party the most common family was dessert was “Tirà”. Prepared in abundance, its recipe based on daily bread and enriched with peasants ingredients and sprinkled with sugar. Accompanied by the best wine, produced in the year of birth of the child and put aside bottled to be uncorked with friends on such occasion.

Tirà is a soft donut-shaped cake sprinkled with sugar on the surface.

Here is the original recipe coming from Famija Albeisa's cookbook. Set aside time for leavening, as it requires longer wait.

[Credit Capello shop]

Ingredients:

• 500 grams of flour
• 130 grams of sugar (raw cane)
• 120 grams of milk
• 120 g butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 6 grams of yeast
• 1 pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Dissolve the yeast in a little water and add 30 grams of flour to form a soft dough core: set to rise in a warm place for a few hours in a bowl covered with a cloth.
2. Mix it with 40 gr. of flour and a little warm water, and let it to rise again
3. After a few hours add 180 grams of flour, 50 g sugar, 50 g butter (melted) and pour in lukewarm milk. Knead again, then place in a container lined with a floured cloth and place it in 30 °C to 35 °C for three hours, checking often
4. Once the dough rises combine the remaining flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt. In the middle of it, with care, mix in the egg yolks, the rest of the melted butter, and the remaining warm milk
5. Halve the dough and get two tirà, that is 2 loaves, of about 450-500 grams, place on wax paper on a baking sheet and let rise in a warm environment. When the dough will be doubled the initial volume, make 2-3 diagonal cuts on the upper bending of the cake and bake at 180 °C. Cake is ready when the outer surface takes on a brown color.

To get crocion- typical biscuits from this dessert - slice the tirà diagonally making slices 2-2.5 cm thick. Brown them in the oven and remove them when the bread is lightly colored to brown. Store them in airtight containers. Delicious with homemade jam!