St. Josephs Bread

Also known as Pane di San Guiseppe. A white yeasted bread flavored with anise and golden raisins. This will be a treat for the entire family!

Step: 1

In a large bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups of the flour, yeast, honey, hot water, salt, butter and anise seeds. Mix into a smooth batter. Stir in the golden raisins, and beat for another 10 minutes, gradually adding flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Step: 2

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. You may not need to use all of the flour. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Step: 3

Grease a baking sheet and dust with cornmeal. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and punch out all of the air. Roll into a long tight loaf, and place seam side down onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a sharp serrated knife to make 3 or four diagonal slashes on the top. Cover with a tea towel, and let rise until double in size, about 30 minutes.

Step: 4

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mist the loaf with water or vinegar before baking, and twice during.

Step: 5

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust is golden brown, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Per Serving: 190 calories; protein 4.7g; carbohydrates 36.1g; fat 3.1g; cholesterol 6.1mg; sodium 135.2mg.

The quality of the flour can make a real deal to your bread. Different makers do vary. Extra-strong or Canadian flours, which are bet higher in gluten, may give you a best rise than standard dough flours – especially if you’re make wholemeal bread , which doesn’t always rise as well as clear bread.

To make this in a dough , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be make in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can start it yesterday , then finish it off the next day.