Recipes updated and reblogged from December 2013.

Italian Breakfast Sweet Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk (70° to 80°)
• 1 egg 
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast                                                                                                                       
• 1 egg, for egg wash
• 1 tablespoon water
• Sugar for topping

Directions

Place the first seven ingredients in large mixer bowl with paddle attachment and mix until combined.

Switch to the dough hook and knead dough until smooth and elastic.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and divide in half. Shape each portion into a ball; flatten slightly.

Place each ball of dough in a greased 9-inch round baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Beat egg and water; brush over the dough and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake at 350°F  for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).

SCHIACCIATA CON ZIBIBBO (ITALIAN SWEET BREAD WITH RAISINS)

Double the ingredients to make two loaves and put one in the freezer.                                                                                                                                                                            

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm (105 to 115 degree) water
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Dissolve the yeast in warm water in a large bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Stir in raisins, sugar, oil, orange peel, egg and enough flour to make a soft dough.

Switch to the dough hook and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Shape into a round, slightly flat loaf about 9 inches in diameter. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover; let rise 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until bread is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet; cool on wire rack. 1 loaf.

Italian Braided Sweet Bread

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water ( 110 degrees F)
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 egg

Directions

Mix yeast and warm water and let sit so that the yeast can react. The yeast should begin to foam.

Mix dry ingredients together.

In a small saucepan, heat milk, butter and egg. Be careful not to let the egg cook and become solid.

Mix yeast/water with dry ingredients in large bowl of the mixer with a paddle attachment. When thoroughly incorporated, mix in milk/egg mixture until a dough is formed.

Switch to the dough hook and knead dough, then cover and let rise about 20 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size. (Times vary depending on warmth of environment.)

Punch down the dough and divide in half to make 2 smaller loaves. Divide each half into three equal pieces and braid the ropes together and tuck in the ends.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover and let double in size. Bake bread at 350 degrees F. for about 20 minutes.

Optional Step:

Rum Syrup:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon dark rum

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and the water over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture reaches a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 5 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and stir in rum. Let cool to room temperature.

Brush all over bread as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let bread cool before slicing.

Rustic Raisin Walnut Bread

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 2 cups lukewarm water (105° to 115°)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup walnut halves, coarsely chopped

Directions

In a large electric mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, stir together honey and 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water. Add yeast and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water.

Stir in the whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and salt. Mix until well combined. Keep adding the rest of the white flour until dough leaves the sides of the bowl. 

Be sure not to add too much flour.

Switch to the dough hook and knead 5 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. 

Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in the bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425°F.

Punch the dough down and place it on a floured board. Gently knead the raisins and walnuts into the dough. Shape (round, long, square,) into 1 large loaf and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Cover with damp cloth and let rise in a warm until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

Using a spray bottle, spray loaf with water. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and bake 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool on rack before slicing.

Ricotta Crumb Cake (Italian Breakfast Cake)                                                                                                              

Crust:

• 2/3 cup toasted almonds, ground
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions for the Crust:

Mix the almonds, flour, baking powder and brown sugar in a bowl. Using a pastry blender cut in the cold butter with the dry ingredients. Pour the egg and vanilla over the butter mixture and toss together just until moistened. Spoon half of the crumb mixture into a 10 inch springform pan and set the other half aside.

Filling:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup slivered almonds
• 3 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 3/4 cup sugar

Directions for the Filling:

Put 1/3 cup sugar and the almonds in the processor and pulse 5 or 6 times to grind the almonds into small pieces. Do not ground too fine.

In a bowl mix together the ricotta, rum and 3/4 cup sugar until blended. Stir in almond/sugar mixture. Spoon ricotta mixture over crumb crust in the springform pan.

Spoon remaining crumb mixture over the ricotta filling and pat down to make top flat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 45 minutes, Let cool and sprinkle top with powdered sugar.

Sweet Bread from Valtellina (Bisciola)                                                                                               

Makes 1 (8-inch) oval loaf

Ingredient

• 1 tablespoon grappa or rum
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rye flour
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg, for egg wash
• 15 dried figs, stemmed and roughly chopped (3/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, roughly chopped

Directions

Heat oven to 350º F with oven rack placed on the middle shelf. In a small bowl combine raisins, grappa or rum and water; set aside.

Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely, then roughly chop.

In a small saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until just warm, then remove from the heat. Transfer warm milk to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in the milk. Let mixture stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, all-purpose flour, rye flour and salt. With mixer at medium-low speed, add half of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture. Mix until well blended, then add remaining flour mixture and butter. Reduce speed to low and mix 5 minutes more.

Drain raisins; discard liquid. Add raisins, hazelnuts, figs, walnuts and pine nuts to the dough; mix on low until just incorporated. Switch to the dough hook and knead dough to form a stiff, wet dough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On prepared baking sheet, form dough into a 8-inch-long oval loaf. Cover loaf with a lightly dampened clean dishtowel and let rest, in a draft-free place, 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350º F. with oven rack in the middle.

Brush dough with beaten egg, then bake, rotating pan once halfway through, until bread is deep golden, about 30 minutes. Let bread cool completely on pan on wire rack.

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in Bread, Coffee Cake, Fruit, Healthy Italian Cooking, Italian Cuisine Tags: Christmas breads