Tuscan Sweet Bread (Tuscany)

Desserts

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 4 cups

Compressed yeast - 1 cake

Lukewarm water - 1 1/4 cups

Eggs - 2

Salt - pinch

Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup

Grated rind of 1 orange

Butter, melted and cooled - 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsps

Butter or oil for baking sheet

Confectioners sugar

Sift the flour into a warmed bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast, dissolved in lukewarm water. Knead very thoroughly until the dough is elastic and comes away easily from your hand and the sides of the bowl, adding 2 to 3 tbsps more water if the dough is very hard. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave the dough in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down again and work in the eggs, lightly beaten to mix the yolks and whites, salt, sugar and grated orange rind. This will maje the dough very soft. Continue to knead it vigourously in the bowl as you would a baba dough for about 10 minutes or until it regains its elastic texture and comes away easily from the sides of the bowl. Finally, work in the melted butter, beating and kneading by hand until the butter is completely incorperated.

Grease 2 rectangular baking pans about 8 by 12 inches. Divide the dough in half and press each piece out thinly with the palm of your hand to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover the pans and leave for 1 to 1 1/2 hours for the dough for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Turn out on to wire racks to cool, and when cold dust the side which has acquired the pattern of the rack with sifted confectioners sugar.