Bread Machine (202 page)
3 tablespoons Marsala
1
/
3
cup olive oil
1
1
/
2
tablespoons orange-flower water
1
1
/
2
teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups bread flour
1
/
3
cup sugar
1
/
4
cup chopped pine nuts
1 tablespoon plus
2 teaspoons gluten
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
3
/
4
teaspoon aniseed, crushed
2
1
/
2
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
3
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
1
1
/
2
tablespoons butter, cut into 8 pieces, for topping
1 tablespoon sugar, for sprinkling
Combine the raisins and Marsala in a small bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature to macerate.
Place the ingredients, except the raisins and the tablespoon of flour, in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. The dough ball will be slightly soft.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a fat rectangle. Lift the raisins out of their liquid with a slotted spoon and toss them with the tablespoon of flour. Reserve the liquid. Sprinkle the dough with the raisins. Fold the dough over and knead gently to evenly distribute. Knead into a tight round and divide into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round loaf. Place the rounds on the prepared pan. Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350ºF, with a rack set in the middle position.
With a lamé or small, very sharp knife, cut an X on top of each loaf. With your fingers, pull on the point of one triangular piece of one loaf. You will have a slight skin that has dried during rising. Pull up and back, using the knife to cut just under the skin, like skinning a chicken breast, cutting and pulling back to the rim of the loaf. Peel the triangular piece back and lay it over the side of the loaf. Continue with the other 3 sections of the X. Then repeat with the other loaf. You will have an opened area, or “ear,” on top of each. Place a piece of butter just inside the base of each ear. Flip a small portion of each point back over the butter piece. Drizzle the tops with the reserved raisin-soaking liquid, and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom with your finger. Remove the loaves from the pan and place on a rack. Let cool completely before slicing.
MARZIPAN KRINGLE
Makes 1 large loaf
I
love bread made in the beautiful pretzel shape. Whole loaves shaped into pretzels may be unfamiliar to you, but for centuries this has been the shape of bread made for weddings and holidays. Some bakers prefer to shape this loaf into a thick horseshoe instead. Marzipan, also called
massepain
in French—simply almond paste—is one of my favorite fillings. It is a combination of ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites beaten into a meringue. It is said to have been invented in Milan by nuns. Serve this kringle for brunch with coffee, or tea, and fresh orange juice, and savor every bite.
1
1
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2
- OR 2-POUND-LOAF MACHINES
For the dough:
1
1
/
4
cups whole milk or light cream
3 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3
1
/
2
cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1
/
4
cup sugar
1
1
/
2
teaspoons salt
2
1
/
4
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
3
/
4
teaspoons bread machine yeast
For the marzipan filling:
1
1
/
4
cups almond paste
1
/
2
cup sugar
1 egg white, beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3
/
4
cup chopped almonds
For the glaze and topping:
3 tablespoons raw sugar
1 egg white beaten with
1 tablespoon water
1
/
2
cup sliced almonds
Place all the dough ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Scrape the dough into a greased 4-quart plastic container (I spray with a butter-flavored cooking spray) and cover. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
To make the filling, place the almond paste, sugar, egg white, almond extract, and cinnamon in a deep bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until just smooth. Set aside.