Buccellato – Luccan Sweet Bread Recipe

———————SOURCE:THE FINE ART OF ITALY———————
ISBN 0-8129-1838-X

FROM: SALLIE KREBS
A sweet bread from the old -fruit, raisins, and other
-walled town of Lucca, it Extra ingredients, it
-is eaten as a snack or -requires more yeast than
With strawberries as a -ordinary bread.
-dessert (see page 603), You can’t stroll through
-and can be made in a -Lucca’s marvelous old
-regular -piazzas without seeing
Loaf shape or as a ring. Someone eating buccellato.
-Because of the glaceed

———————FOR THE SPONGE (FIRST RISING———————
1 c Milk -active dry yeast
2 ea Ounces (4 cakes) compressed 2 c Unbleached all-purpose flour
-fresh yeast or 4 packages pn Of salt

———————FOR THE DOUGH (SECOND RISING———————
5 ea Ounces raisins and mixed 1 c Less 1 tablespoon
-glaceed fruit, combined -granulated sugar
2 c Lukewarm milk 2 T Light rum
1 lg Orange with thick skin 5 ea Extra-large eggs
10 T (5 ounces) sweet butter 1/3 c Dry Marsala
5 3/4 c Unbleached all-purpose flour 1 1/2 T Aniseed

To make the “sponge,” heat the milk in a saucepan to lukewarm or hot,
depending on the yeast you are using. Dissolve the yeast in the milk
in a small bowl. Place the 2 cups flour in a large bowl and make a
well in it. Pour the dissolved yeast into the well, along with a
pinch of salt. With a wooden spoon, gradually incorporate all the
flour into the liquid yeast. When all the flour is incorporated,
cover the bowl with a cotton dishtowel and leave to rise in a warm
place, away from drafts, until the yeast has doubled in size (about 1
to 1 1/2 hours). Soak the raisins and glaceed fruit in a bowl with I
cup of the lukewarm milk for 20 to 25 minutes. Grate the orange and
let stand until needed. Melt 8 tablespoons of the butter in a small
saucepan set over boiling water and set aside. When the “sponge” has
risen, place the 5 3/4 cups flour on a pasta board. Make a well in it
and place the “sponge” in the well. Add the sugar and mix well with a
wooden spoon, and when all the sugar is incorporated, add the warm
melted butter, rum, 4 of the eggs, the Marsala, and aniseed. Mix with
the wooden spoon until all the ingredients are well combined. Start
adding the remaining warm milk, little by little, incorporating some
of the flour from the inside rim of the well. Keep mixing until 3/4
of the flour is incorporated, then add the grated orange peel and
start kneading the dough. Knead until all but 2 tablespoons of the
flour are incorporated and the dough is smooth (about 20 minutes).
Drain the raisins and glaceed fruits, add to the dough, and knead for
5 minutes more incorporating the leftover flour. Shape the dough into
a ring. Butter and flour a baking sheet. Place the dough on it, cover
with a cotton dishtowel, and let rise in a warm place, away from
drafts, until it has doubled in size (from 1 to 1 1/2 hours). Preheat
the oven to 400 degrees. Place baking sheet in the oven for 35
minutes, then beat the remaining egg in a bowl and quickly remove the
baking sheet from the oven. Brush the top of the buccellato with the
beaten egg and return it to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes more.
Remove the buccellato from the oven and let stand until cold (2 to 3
hours) before serving.