Matera strazzate are rustic almond-based baked sweets. In our bakery, we make them with eggs, sugar, toasted almonds, flour, flavourings and baker's ammonia.
In this article we explain how we prepare them at Panificio Perrone. We do not publish the quantities or the blend of flavourings, which remain part of our bakery recipe, but we do explain the method, the handling of the dough and the signs we look for to know when they are ready.
The ingredients in our strazzate
To prepare our strazzate we use:
- eggs
- sugar
- toasted almonds
- flour
- flavourings
- baker's ammonia
We do not publish the quantities or the blend of flavourings because they are part of our bakery recipe.
4.5
24/48h
4.5
24/48h
How we prepare the strazzate dough
The preparation starts in the planetary mixer. We add the eggs and sugar to the bowl and mix until the sugar has dissolved.
We then add the toasted almonds and let the mixture work for a while so they are evenly distributed through the dough.
Finally, we add the flour, flavourings and baker's ammonia. Mixing continues until the dough is smooth and uniform.
How we work the dough on the bench
Once the dough is ready, we transfer it from the mixer to the work surface.
The bench is generously dusted with flour. This flour is not used to increase the amount of flour in the recipe: it is there to stop the dough from sticking to the surface and to the hands during shaping.
The dough should stay fairly soft while still being easy enough to work by hand.
How we shape the strazzate
The strazzate are shaped by hand and we do not follow a fixed weight or size. Once the dough has been moved to the floured work surface, each piece is shaped directly before baking.
We do not aim for perfectly identical pieces: the process is manual and the finished shape keeps a simple, rustic look.
Do strazzate need to rest before baking?
No. Once they have been shaped, the strazzate can be baked straight away. There is no resting period between shaping and baking.
How we bake strazzate
The baking temperature can vary between 180 and 190 °C. Strazzate can be baked in a rotary, conventional or fan-assisted oven.
The indicative baking time is about 10 minutes. It may take a little more or a little less depending on the oven and on the level of baking reached.
How to tell when strazzate are ready
Time is a useful guide, but we look mainly at the result.
The strazzate are ready when they develop a good golden colour and begin to release from the baking paper.
Inside, they should remain soft. The contrast between the baked surface and the softer centre is one of the signs we look for at the end of baking.
What do our strazzate taste like?
The flavour that comes through most clearly is almond. The flavourings complete the profile of the sweet without covering the taste of the almonds.
The result is a full-flavoured strazzata with a golden surface and a soft centre.
Panificio Perrone strazzate
In our bakery, we prepare strazzate by starting with eggs and sugar, then adding toasted almonds, flour, flavourings and baker's ammonia. After mixing, the dough is transferred to the bench, shaped by hand and baked without resting.
Our Strazzate are also available from our online shop.
