Sweet Bread ''Pandolce''

Liguria

Cooking time: 1 hour Difficulty: Ingredients, amounts for 4/6 people: orange-flower water: 1 teaspoon butter: 5 oz white flour: 1 lb 2 oz 'marsala' wine: ½ glass leavened bread dough: 2 oz pine-nuts: 1 oz pistachio nuts: 1 oz salt: fennel seed: 1 handful golden raisins (from Sicily): 1 oz candied pumpkin from Sicily: 1 oz sugar: 4 ½ oz

Preparation: Place on a pastry board 200 g of flour with a pinch of salt and mix with the baker's yeast and some spoonfuls of tepid water, a soft dough should be obtained and placed in a lightly floured bowl and covered with a cloth which is then put in a warm place to continue with the rising, this should take about eight hours. While waiting melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Make a well on the pastry board with rest of the flour and another pinch of salt and pour into the middle the butter, Marsala wine, orange-flower water and the sugar; mix well and add the risen dough, kneading for a long time adding, if necessary, some spoonfuls of warm water in a way to obtain a well worked and spongy mixture. Add the pine kernels, sultanas (soaked in warm water and squeezed), pistachio, candied peel and fennel seeds. Continue to work the dough for another fifteen minutes, until all is well-blended, then form a large round low loaf . Grease and lightly flour a plate and place the loaf wrapped around with greaseproof paper in a way that stops it becoming too big during the leavening. Place the Pandolce to rise for another twelve hours in a warm place covered with a cloth. At the end of the rising, in the centre on the top, carve a cross. Place into a pre-heated oven at 200° C/ 375° F/ Gas Mark 6 for about one hour. Leave to cool before taking away the greaseproof paper and serve.