Italian Bread and Biscuits Recipes - Sweet Genoese Bread (Pane Genovese Dolce) Recipe

Ingredients

• 400 ml/14 fl oz/1 3/4 cups milk

• 900 g/2 lb/8 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

• 5 ml/1 tsp salt

• 1 packet easy-blend dried yeast

• 175 g/6 oz/3/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar

• 30 ml/2 tbsp orange flower water

• 75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup unsalted (sweet) butter, melted

• 100 g/4 oz/1 cup chopped almonds

• 175 g/6 oz/1 cup raisins, soaked in

• 45 ml/3 tbsp Galliano, or any other anise liqueur

• 5 ml/1 tsp crushed aniseed

• 50 g/2 oz/1/3 cup chopped candied peel

• 50 g/2 oz/1/3 cup glace (candied) cherries, chopped

• Grated rind of 1 lemon

• Butter and honey, to serve

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Method:

1. Warm the milk in a saucepan. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the yeast, sugar, half the milk and the orange flower water.

2. Add the melted butter and gradually blend together, adding extra warm milk as required to form a soft, but not sticky, dough.

3. Turn the dough on to a floured board and knead for 10 minutes. Grease a large mixing bowl and return the dough to the bowl.

4. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 1 1/2 hours to rise. Turn the dough out and press into two large flat round shapes.

5. Sprinkle over the nuts, raisins, aniseed, candied peel, cherries and lemon rind. Roll up the dough and knead again.

6. Shape into oblongs and place on a large greased baking sheet. Allow to stand, covered, for 1 hour and make 2 slits on the surface of the bread.

7. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for 15 minutes.

8. Reduce the heat to 160°C/325°F/ gas mark 3 for a further 50 minutes, or until the bases sound hollow when tapped.

9. Allow to cool on a wire rack and serve, sliced with butter and honey.