Genoese Sweet Bread (Liguria)

Desserts

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 8 cups

Salt - pinch

Compressed yeast - 3 cakes

Lukewarm milk - 1/2 cup

Orange flower water - 4 tbsps

Granulated sugar - 1 1/8 cups

Melted butter - 3/4 cup

Pine nuts - 1/4 cup

Peeled pistachio nuts - 1/8 cups

Seedless white raisins, soaked in marsala - scant 1 cup

Fennel seeds - 4 tsps

Candied pumpkin, finely chopped - 1/4 pound

Butter and flour for baking sheet

Sift the flour onto a pastry board or into a bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast, dissolved in milk. Leave this for 20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients in the order given (except butter and flour for baking sheet) and mix well. Knead thoroughly for at least 30 minutes, adding a little more milk if the dough is too firm. Shape into a ball, cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk - this will take several hours. 

Punch the dough down, knead lightly and shape into a round. Transfer it to a well-buttered and floured baking sheet. Make three incisions in the form of a triangle on top, and bake  in a moderate oven (375F) for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out clean. Leave to cool before serving.