Ingredients
For dough
5 1/4 to 5 3/4 cups flour
2 packages (4 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/3 cup light raisins
1/3 cup dried currants
1/4 cup chopped candied citron
2 teaspoons crushed aniseed
Egg wash
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon water
Yield: 2 loaves
Directions
Heat milk, honey, butter and salt until butter is almost melted, stirring constantly.
In a separate bowl combine 1 1/2 cups flour and yeast.
Add milk and honey mixture to flour and yeast mixture.
Place the mixture in an electric mixer bowl.
Add eggs and mix well.
Stir the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Place the dough on a floured wooden board..
Work into a soft and malleable dough -- kneading for about 8 to 10 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased bowl.
Cover and let it rest in a warm room until it doubles in volume.
Divide the dough in half.
Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Shape into two round loaves, place on greased baking sheets. Cut a cross 1/2 inch deep in tops.
Cover, let rise till nearly double (about 45 minutes).
Brush with mixture of beaten egg and water.
Bake in 350 degrees F. oven about 35 minutes.
Cool on racks.
Notes
The recipe in this entry was adapted from one published in, "Better Homes and Gardens, Italian Cook Book (Des Moines, Iowa: Mereditch Corporation, 1983). The cookbook can be borrowed for free from the on-line public library, www.openlibrary.org.... P.S. This is a difficult recipe to do as it requires a number of dough rises; also, the loaves of dough are supposed to be baked on baking sheets rather than in greased pans, making it a lot harder for an average cook to get the right shape. Comments and photo: Mary Melfi. |
