Sicilian lemon and orange sweet bread

Sicilian lemon and orange sweet bread

Christmas is approaching and what better than this lovely enriched bread which resembles panettone? The good thing about it is that it is not as difficult! I have already made it twice and both times it was a success. If you like experimenting with bread, try it! You won’t be disappointed. Lovely with a glass of spumante, I reckon. It is from Paul Hollywood’s Bread book. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. It is actually straightforward. Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

INGREDIENTS

For the dough

400g/14oz strong white flour

7g salt

40g/1½oz caster sugar

10g instant yeast (or 25 gr. fresh yeast)

120ml/4fl oz milk

4 free-range eggs, lightly whisked

100g/3½oz softened unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing

For the citrus mixture

2 lemons, finely grated zest only

1 orange, finely grated zest only

100g/3½oz toasted flaked almonds

100g/3½oz mixed candied peel

100g/3½oz dried cranberries

½ lemon, juice only

For the paste

2 free-range egg whites

25g/1oz sugar

25g/1oz ground almonds

To bake

50g/1¾oz flaked almonds

caster sugar, to sprinkle

METHOD

1. To make the dough, combine the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, milk, eggs and butter in a food mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on a slow speed for three minutes and then set on a medium speed for five minutes, to work the mixture together into a soft dough. If you haven’t got a mixer, mix the dough ingredients together by hand and knead on a lightly floured surface until you get a soft, elastic dough.
2. Tip the dough into a clean bowl, cover and leave to rise for one hour.
3. For the citrus mixture, combine the citrus zest with the toasted almonds, mixed peel, dried cranberries and lemon juice.
4. Add the citrus mixture to the dough and use your hands to incorporate it into the dough.
5. Grease a 23cm/9in round deep spring-form cake tin.
6. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the prepared tin.
7. Cover, or place inside a large plastic bag, and leave to rise for three hours, or until the dough has reached the top of the sides of the tin.
8. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (in a fan oven) and bake the bread on the middle shelf for 20 minutes.
9. For the topping, in a bowl stir together the egg whites, sugar and ground almonds to make a paste.
10. After 20 minutes of baking, remove the bread from the oven and spread the paste over the top. Sprinkle with flaked almonds and a little more sugar.
11. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. If it is going to brown towards the end of baking then cover it loosely with foil.
12. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes; then release the sides of the tin. Remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Merry Christmas!!!

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