Buccellato di Lucca

Buccellato is a popular Tuscan sweet bread that is a specialty of the province of Lucca. It was invented in 1450 by the local confectioners for the well-off people. Although it was mostly prepared for church confirmations in the past, today it is an everyday food staple in the region. Simple, yet flavorful, the modern buccellato is usually prepared in the shape of a ring, its interior tender, sweet, and filled with raisins and aniseed, while the exterior is coated with a combination of sugar and eggs, giving it a nice glistening sheen.