Pandolce Recipe

175 g/6 oz/1 cup raisins
45 ml/3 tbsp Marsala or sweet sherry

25 g/1 oz fresh yeast or 40 ml/2.5 tbsp dried yeast
175 g/6 oz/0.75 cup caster (superfine) sugar
400 ml/14 fl oz/1.75 cups warm milk

900 g/2 lb/8 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
A pinch of salt
45 ml/3 tbsp orange flower water
75 g/3 oz butter or margarine, melted
50 g/2 oz pine nuts
50 g/2 oz pistachio nuts
10 ml/2 tsp crushed fennel seeds
50 g/2 oz crystallized (candied) lemon rind, chopped
Grated rind of 1 orange

Method:

Mix the raisins and Marsala and leave to soak. Blend the yeast with 5 ml/1 tsp of the sugar and a little of the warm milk and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes until frothy. Mix the flour, salt and remaining sugar in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Mix in the yeast mixture, the remaining warm milk and the orange flower water. Add the melted butter or margarine and mix to a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until elastic and no longer sticky. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in size.

Press or roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1 cm/0.5 in thick. Sprinkle with the raisins, nuts, fennel seeds, lemon and orange rinds. Roll up the dough, then press or roll out and roll up again. Shape into a round and place on a greased baking (cookie) sheet. Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in size.

Make a triangular cut on the top of the loaf, then bake in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/ 325°F/gas mark 3 and bake for a further 1 hour until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped on the base.