Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread Recipes

SICILIAN LEMON AND ORANGE SWEET BREAD

Steps:

• To make the dough, combine the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, milk, eggs and butter in a food mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on a slow speed for three minutes and then set on a medium speed for five minutes, to work the mixture together into a soft dough. If you haven't got a mixer, mix the dough ingredients together by hand and knead on a lightly floured surface until you get a soft, elastic dough.
• Tip the dough into a clean bowl, cover and leave to rise for one hour.
• For the citrus mixture, combine the citrus zest with the toasted almonds, mixed peel, dried cranberries and lemon juice.
• Add the citrus mixture to the dough and use your hands to incorporate it into the dough.
• Grease a 23cm/9in round deep spring-form cake tin.
• Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the prepared tin.
• Cover, or place inside a large plastic bag, and leave to rise for three hours, or until the dough has reached the top of the sides of the tin.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (in a fan oven) and bake the bread on the middle shelf for 20 minutes.
• For the topping, in a bowl stir together the egg whites, sugar and ground almonds to make a paste.
• After 20 minutes of baking, remove the bread from the oven and spread the paste over the top. Sprinkle with flaked almonds and a little more sugar.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. If it is going to brown towards the end of baking then cover it loosely with foil.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes; then release the sides of the tin. Remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

SICILIAN ORANGE SWEET BREAD

Steps:

• In a mixer, with a dough hook attachment, add the warm water and yeast.
• Mix until blended. Add the sugar and mix about a minute. Slowly mix in 1 cup of the flour until combined. Mix in the eggs one at a time until they are combined.
• Add another 2 cups of the flour, oil, salt, orange zest, orange juice and candied orange peel. Mix together on medium-low speed stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Slowly add the rest of the flour and mix until combined. Stop the machine as you add each cup of the flour to scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate the flour.
• Mix on low speed for about 3 minutes until dough is incorporated. Be sure to give your mixer a break and as you don't want to burn it out. Add flour if needed 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough will be a little sticky but also firm.
• Take dough out of mixer bowl, form into a ball and coat with a light film of canola oil.
• Form the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl (when I put the dough in the bowl ( I swish the dough around the bottom of the bowl and then flip it over so all of the dough is covered in a light film of oil).
• Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1 1/2 hours).
• While dough is rising, in a small bowl stir together the egg whites, powdered sugar and ground almonds.
• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Punch down the dough. Gently incorporate the orange marmalade into the dough.
• (I added it in spoonfuls. I added a spoon at a time kneading along after each addition, trying to keep the marmalade within the dough and not around the outside of the dough.) I added a little flour at the end and gave it one final knead into a ball.)
• Add the dough to your panettone baking paper or 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper lined around with a removable bottom. Let the dough rise until it reaches the top of the pan (or panettone paper).
• Bake the bread for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the bread. Spoon on the almond topping. Some of it may drip down the sides (you can carefully wipe it with a paper towel). Sprinkle on the flaked almonds and pearl sugar.
• Lower the heat to 350 F and return the bread to the oven. Continue baking for about another 15-20 minutes. The bread should be golden brown. Ovens may vary so check your bread after 15 minutes to see how it's doing. You test if it's done by tapping the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, it needs a bit more time.
• Remove bread. Let it cool and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

ORANGE LOAF

Steps:

• Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nuts.
• In a large bowl, beat together butter or margarine and 1 cup sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in rind and 1/2 cup juice. Pour in flour mixture, and stir until moistened. Turn into a greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until done. Remove loaf from oven, but not from pan.
• Combine 1/2 cup orange juice with 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Spoon glaze over hot loaf. Let stand in pan for 10 minutes before removing loaf to rack to cool.