#Easter in South Tyrol

Fochaz – The Tradition of Easter Pastries in South Tyrol

In South Tyrol, it is a custom to gift your godchild a Fochaz at Easter—a sweet yeast dough pastry shaped like rabbits (for boys), hens (for girls), wreaths, or braids. Children especially look forward to the raisins and sugar sprinkles used as decorations. In the past, these pastries often contained little surprises such as coins. The term Fochaz originates from the Ladin word focaccia, meaning oven-baked bread.

Recipe
Makes 2-3 large pastries

Ingredients

500 g wheat flour (or 250 g spelt and 250 g wheat flour)
25 g yeast
80 g sugar
250-270 ml lukewarm milk
8 g salt (about 1 teaspoon)
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon natural vanilla sugar
1 tablespoon rum
Grated lemon zest
80 g butter (melted gently)

Preparing the Sponge (Dampfl)
Sift the flour into a bowl and create a well in the center. Crumble the yeast into the well, mix it with a little sugar and warm milk, then lightly dust it with flour. Cover the bowl and let it rest in a warm place for 15-20 minutes.

Preparing the Yeast Dough
Sprinkle the salt along the edge of the flour. Add the eggs, sugar, flavorings, and melted butter to the sponge. Mix well and knead into a medium-firm, smooth dough. Add more milk if needed. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, until it has doubled in size.

Now, shape the dough as desired—for example, into a braid, hen, strudel, rabbit, or smaller pastries. Let the shaped dough rest in a warm place (40°C) under cover. Mix one egg yolk with a little milk, brush it over the dough shapes, and sprinkle with pearl sugar if desired.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (fan) for about 15-20 minutes for smaller shapes (rabbits or hens) or around 40 minutes for larger braids or wreaths. Bake until golden brown and cool on a wire rack.

Recipe from “Living Traditions in South Tyrol” by Jutta Tappeiner and Hans Griessmair, published in 2019 by Athesia Verlag and edited by the South Tyrolean Farmers’ Association.