Brazzatelle di Latte, e Zuccaro – Milk and Sugar Bagels (1557)

Brazzatelle di Latte, e Zuccaro – Milk and Sugar Bagels (1557)

Course: Bread for the Table

Feast: 12th Night 2024, Pan da Tavola, Made by Jennifer Bishop
Source: *Libro Novo* by Cristoforo di Messisbugo (1557)

These soft, slightly sweet breads were served at our Italian Renaissance feast as a morning-style bread, nestled between savory and sweet dishes. The original source calls them Brazzatelle—a term used in Italy for ring-shaped breads or cookies—and describes a process similar to making bagels, including boiling before baking. Enriched with milk, eggs, rosewater, and sugar, they may have been intended as a refined treat for a January banquet table.

A Renaissance Ring: The Story Behind Brazzatelle

Brazzatelle—also spelled brazzadelle, brazzadei, or brasadèle depending on region—were a type of ring-shaped bread popular across northern and central Italy from the medieval period through the Renaissance. The name likely stems from the Latin brachium (arm) or bracellus (bracelet), referencing their circular, bracelet-like shape.

These breads were often boiled before baking, giving them a glossy, firm exterior while preserving a soft interior. This technique, associated with extended shelf life, also made them ideal for festive or ritual uses. In Ferrara, Venice, and Bologna, brazzatelle were given as holiday gifts, blessed in churches during Easter, or included in wedding dowries.

Some were sweetened, like the version from Messisbugo’s Libro Novo (1557), while others were plain or flavored with anise seed. Their uses were diverse:

• Ritual breads for New Year’s, weddings, Easter, or religious processions
• Gifts or tokens of good fortune, especially when made in pairs or dozens
• Street or market fare—sold by licensed bakers, often under guild oversight

Are They Bagels?

While brazzatelle are not direct ancestors of the modern Ashkenazi bagel, they share several similarities:

• Ring shape and boiled-then-baked preparation
• Guild-regulated production and ceremonial use
• Flexible recipe base—ranging from peasant food to noble fare

It’s possible the boiling technique spread via cross-cultural contact. Jewish communities were established in Ferrara and other Italian cities by the 15th century, especially after the 1492 Spanish expulsion. Culinary exchanges between Jewish bakers and Italian guild traditions may have helped standardize boiled breads in both cultures [Gvion, 2004].

Sweet, Rich, and Refined

Messisbugo’s version reflects the courtly taste of the Este family in Ferrara: enriched with milk, eggs, sugar, butter, and rosewater, it would have been seen as a luxurious item. He suggests shaping them “as you like” and recommends adding anise seed, a common Renaissance spice prized for its digestive and humoral balancing properties [Albala, 2006].

In context, these may have been served with other banchetto items—spiced fruits, sugared nuts, or wine-soaked cakes—and consumed during the second or third course of a festive winter feast.

The original recipe yields 50 generous biscuits, each around 4 ounces. Our modern version scales down the ingredients, shapes the dough into braided twists or rings, and bakes them to golden perfection. While not as chewy as a modern New York bagel, these have a tender crumb and delicate flavor, perfect with jam, cheese, or on their own.

Original Recipe

📜 Ricetta Originale – Brazzatelle di latte, e zuccaro (1557)

Per far cinquanta brazzatelle di quattro oncie, si piglia quindeci libre di farina, tre oncie d’acqua rosa, tre libre di latte, e due di zuccaro bianco, venticinque ova, quattro oncie di butiro, et impastinsi bene insieme queste cose. Poi si faccino le dette brazzatelle secondo la maniera che si vuole fare, et si faccino lievitare con gran diligenza. Et lievitate che saranno, si faccia bollire acqua, et si gettino dentro le dette brazzatelle a cuocere, et quando saranno a galla, si cavino fuori, et si mettino in acqua fresca, et da poi si pongano a cuocere al forno. Et se si vorrà mettere dentro dell’anese, farà buona operazione.

— Messisbugo, Libro Novo, 1557

Translation note: The term brazzatelle refers to ring- or twist-shaped breads, often associated with ritual use. This recipe describes a luxurious enriched dough, boiled like a bagel, then baked—unusual for Renaissance Italy and suggesting a festive or banquet setting.

To make fifty biscuits of four ounces each, take fifteen pounds of flour, three ounces of rose water, three pounds of milk, and two pounds of white sugar, 25 eggs, four ounces of butter, and knead these together well. Then shape your biscuits in the manner you like, and let them rise with great diligence. When risen, boil water and throw in the biscuits to cook. When they float, remove and place in fresh water. Then bake them on the fire. If you want to add anise, that would work well.
– Messisbugo, *Libro Novo* (1557)

Modern Recipe: Pane di Latte e Zuccaro – Twisted Milk and Sugar Bread

Yield: About 10–12 rolls or twists

🥕 Includes Dietary Suggestions

Ingredients

• 1 packet instant yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2¾ lbs (about 9¾ cups) all-purpose flour
• 4 oz white sugar (½ cup)
• 8 egg yolks
• 3 oz rosewater (about 6 tbsp)
• 12 oz whole milk (1½ cups)
• 1 oz butter (2 tbsp)
• ½ oz salt (1½ tsp)

Instructions

1. Combine 1 cup of the flour with the warm water and yeast. Let rise for about an hour until bubbly and frothy.
2. In a saucepan, warm the milk with the sugar and butter until the butter is melted. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the egg yolks and rosewater.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the sponge and mix well. Add flour gradually to form a soft, smooth dough. Add the salt toward the end of kneading.
4. Let rise in a greased bowl until doubled in size (about 1½–2 hours).
5. Punch down and divide into 10–12 equal pieces. Shape into twists, braids, or rings.
6. Let rise a second time, covered, until puffy (about 30–45 minutes).
7. Optional: Simmer water in a large pot. Boil each roll for about 30 seconds until it floats. Transfer to a bowl of cold water briefly, then onto a towel to drain.
8. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake rolls on a floured or parchment-lined tray for 30–40 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
9. Optional: Glaze with egg yolk and milk before baking for a shiny finish.

Notes & Dietary Suggestions

• Vegetarian: Yes.
• Vegan Variation: Substitute plant milk, margarine or oil, and aquafaba or commercial egg replacer for the yolks. Skip egg glaze or use syrup wash.
• Allergen-Friendly: Use dairy-free milk and gluten-free flour mix (texture will vary). Contains eggs and gluten.
• Flavor Additions: Anise seed may be added to the dough for a traditional flavor.

Historical Context

Ring-shaped breads like brazzatelle or brazadei were common in northern Italy and often given as gifts during festive occasions. The process of boiling before baking suggests a bagel-like influence or convergence with Germanic and Jewish baking traditions of the time. Messisbugo’s work, intended for noble households, included many luxurious touches—rosewater, sugar, and egg yolks—that speak to the refined palates of Renaissance courts.

🔗 Looking for more Italian Recipes? Check out the 12th Night 2024 Feast!

Sources

• Messisbugo, Cristoforo di. Libro Novo, 1557. Google Books
• Albala, Ken. “The Banquet: Dining in the Great Courts of Late Renaissance Europe.” Gastronomica, vol. 6, no. 2, 2006, pp. 87–93. JSTOR
• Gvion, Liora. “A Bite of History: The Bagel, Culinary Memory, and Jewish Identity.” Food and Foodways, vol. 12, no. 1, 2004, pp. 1–28. Academia.edu
• Faccioli, Emilio. L'Arte della Cucina in Italia, 1987.
• Capatti, Alberto, and Massimo Montanari. Italian Cuisine: A Cultural History, Columbia University Press, 2003.
• Messisbugo, Cristoforo di. Banchetti Compositioni Di Vivande, et Apparecchio Generale. 1557. Google Books
• Birkestad, Mistress Helewyse de. “Harvest Days 2007 TOC Feast.” Medieval Cookery
• Smithson, Louise. “Italian Bagels.” Medieval Cookery
• “Milk & Sugar Biscuits.” Shannon's Messisbugo Translation Project