Ingredients[]
Yeast[]
- 2 spoonfuls dry yeast or 4 spoonfuls fresh yeast
- ¼ cup water, lukewarm
- 2 spoonfuls sugar
- 2 water cups, lukewarm
- 2 cups flour
Dough[]
- 10 cups flour cups, more or less
- 1½ cups sugar
- 6 whole eggs
- 1 spoonful salt
- 1½ cups butter
- 2 cups milk, lukewarm
- 1 spoonfuls orange blossom water
- 1 spoonful cognac
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups raisins
- 1 cup nuts, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup glazed orange rind
- 1 cup almonds, peeled and chopped
Directions[]
Yeast Preparation[]
- In a deep bowl, put the ¼ cup of water with the two spoonfuls of sugar. Mix well.
- Add the yeast and let it soak for five minutes.
- To this mixture add the two cups of water, little by little, and the two cups of flour.
- Mix well and let rest until it raises and doubles.
- Place this mixture under the sun or near the stove, covering with a dish cloth or towel.
Dough Preparation[]
- To the yeast add the 1½ cup of sugar, the spoonful of salt, the 1½ cup of butter, the six eggs slightly beaten, the 2 cups of milk, the spoonful of orange blossom water, the spoonful of cognac, the essence of vanilla and the flour.
- Mix all ingredients very well.
- On a table knead the dough until bubbles burst.
- Place the dough in a bowl and cover it whit a dish cloth or towel.
- Place the dough under the sun or near the stove so that it doubles in size for a second time.
- In the meantime, mix nuts, almonds and glazed orange rind with one or two spoonfuls of flour, so that the fruit does not go to the bottom of the bread.
- Once the dough doubles in size, add the fruit. Mix very well.
- Place the dough under the sun or near the stove so that it doubles in size for a third time.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, divide it into eight parts.
- Make a ball with each piece and then flatten it, forming a bread loaf.
- Place bread loafs in a non-sticky baking sheet. Let double for the fourth time.
- Bake it at medium temperature (European oven: 150 °C; American oven: 300 °F) for forty-five minutes to one hour.
- In a small bowl add a spoonful of boiling water, ten spoonfuls of fine sugar more or less, until it thickens, and finally, a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Remove the bread loafs from the oven.
- While still hot, covered them with the sugar mixture suing a brush.
- If wanted, decorate with glazed fruit or raisins.