In Corsica, people enjoy a truly surprising treat for Easter: the cacavellu, also called campanile, depending on the region (the people of Corte give me funny looks when I ask for a cacavellu at the bakery). It’s a sweet, crown-shaped bread filled with whole hard-boiled eggs. So, to celebrate Easter the Corsican way, here’s my recipe for cacavellu.
The Origin of Cacavellu / Campanile
Before we head into the kitchen, let’s take a quick cultural detour to find out where this strange pastry comes from. It’s said that the cacavellu was used to mark the end of Lent while making use of the eggs that weren’t eaten during that period. That’s right—during the 40 days of Lent, it was forbidden to eat eggs.
Legend also has it that the eggs from this pastry were given to children to symbolize life and hope. The tradition has endured, but today, the eggs placed on the cacavelli are either eaten by the children or used during the merendella, the Easter Monday picnic.
Ingredients
- 1 kg of flour
- 7 eggs (including 3 for decoration)
- 300 grams of sugar
- 100 grams of lard
- 40 grams of baker’s yeast
- 30 cl of water
- 4 cl of pastis
- 1 teaspoon of anise seeds
- Salt (a pinch)
Preparation
Let me reassure you right away: the recipe is very simple. It just takes a little time.
To begin, make a starter with the yeast and water.
Let the lard soften.
Mix all your ingredients together in the first mixing bowl: the eggs, lard, flour, salt, sugar, pastis, and anise seeds… There’s no specific order, but don’t forget anything. And be sure to pour the starter into the mixture.
Now roll up your sleeves: you’ll need to knead the dough for 10 minutes. It’s easy to tell when the dough is ready: if it comes away from your hands, you’re all set.
Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with a dish towel, and let it rest for 2 hours at room temperature.
So far, nothing too complicated. The recipe for cacavellu is pretty simple to make.
After 2 hours, take the dough out. You can now shape it however you like. But first, set aside a small amount of dough. You’ll use it to form the lattice pattern that will hold the egg in place. Roll the dough into long strips.
Use these generous rolls to form a wreath, which you’ll place on parchment paper on a baking sheet. All that’s left is to place the raw eggs on the wreath. To keep the eggs in place, make a lattice pattern with the remaining dough.
Another tip: Soak the eggs in water before placing them on the wreath to prevent them from cracking during baking. Using a pastry brush, brush the entire wreath with egg yolk. This will make it golden brown and crispy.
Bake in an oven at 200°C for 40 minutes. Check on it from time to time to make sure the cacavellu doesn’t burn.
In Corsica, it’s quite common to make individual cacavelli for children. All you have to do is shape a smaller ring and place an egg in the center. Another variation is to make cacavelli without eggs.
Finally, instead of anise, you can flavor it with orange blossom or lemon. It’s up to you to decide—and, of course, to try out—which version you prefer.
