Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread is a stunning citrus infused bread. Super fluffy and worth the effort to put together. Just perfect for Christmas or Easter morning.
When another challenge for #TwelveLoaves comes around, I’m always a little nervous. Maybe not nervous, but sort of anxious. I sometimes think I know exactly what to bake and it involves yeast. I also sometimes think I’m really going to go the much easier route and do a non-yeast bread. I am in love with this Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread…let me tell you the story!
Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread
I love baking bread! I love baking yeast breads. I love baking quick breads! Obviously, the quick breads are much easier to put together. There are so many variations in quick bread recipes and a very tempting part in making them is the ease and speed! I’m not saying I’m not ever going to do a quick bread type of recipe for the #TwelveLoaves challenges. For now, I’m still experimenting with yeast recipes.
So far our theme of Oranges, I knew it had to be something for Easter. There are different types of breads that are wonderful for Easter and I’ve shared a couple here: a gorgeous Italian Easter wreath and these guti di pasqua.
Here is our fantastic April-Oranges breads from the incredible #TwelveLoaves bakers:
- Blueberry Dreamsicle Orange Lower-Fat Quick Bread from Shockingly Delicious
- Brith with candied orange from Ma che ti sei mangiato
- It’s Thyme for Orange Dinner Rolls from Cookistry
- Orange Biscuits from Magnolia Days
- Orange-Fennel Cake Doughnuts from girlichef
- Orange Marmalade Filled Sweet Rolls from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Orange Marmalade Scones from A Baker’s House
- Orange Pull-Apart Bread from All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
- Orange Pull Apart Bread with Orange Cream Cheese Glaze from Bakingyummies
- Orange Rolls from Basic N Delicious
- Orange Rosemary Boule from Food Lust People Love
- Orange You Delicious Honey Crescent Rolls from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
- Pizza di Pasqua from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Rye and fennel seeds snails with blood oranges and red onion chutney from Rise of the sourdough preacher
- Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread from Savoring Italy
- Strawberry and Orange Quick Bread with Candied Orange Marmalade from Hip Foodie Mom
#TwelveLoaves April: Oranges. The month of March was filled with gorgeous strawberry breads! We have chosen ORANGES for our April theme! Let’s get baking!
When I found a Sicilian lemon and orange bread that inspired me, I decided I was going to bake it in a round cake pan with the removable bottom. I was looking around my kitchen frustrated because the bottom of the pan wasn’t closing correctly and the dough was ready to go to the next phase.
I found some panettone papers that I picked up on sale at Sur la Table. I’m still dreaming of baking a panettone since before Christmas. I tossed the dough into the paper and I said a little prayer. It wasn’t looking as puffy as it was minutes before in the bowl. I really thought that something had gone wrong and that the dough would never fill my paper even halfway. I covered it and walked away and I didn’t even peak while it was rising. I waited and waited and then….whoa!!
The magical thing happened that all bread bakers hope for when working with yeast: this bread rose and it rose to beautiful proportions! See, I added orange marmalade to the recipe and the dough was a little wet. I had to add a little flour as I was combining it and I thought I messed around too much with this dough. I didn’t want to give up total hope, but I was prepared mentally to start a different bread the next day.
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My husband saw me take it out of the oven and told me I needed to hang it upside down to cool or it will it will deflate. I explained to Fabrizio that this isn’t a panettone recipe. I just happened to use my panettone paper and it is actually a challah dough recipe! No butter, but vegetable oil. I did use the almond topping the baker suggests with this recipe. It wasn’t very thick and it does drizzle around the sides. I wiped the sides of my bread. I happened to have pearl sugar and tossed some of that on top too! This is my riff on an Italian Colomba. My sort of faux-panettone.
Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread
Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread is a stunning citrus infused bread. Super fluffy and worth the effort to put together. Just perfect for Christmas or Easter morning.
Ingredients
- BREAD
- 1 package 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water no more than 110°F [43°C]
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups bread flour or 5 1/2 to 6 cups bleached all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup peanut corn, or canola oil
- 2 tsp salt
- finely grated zest of one orange
- juice of 1/2 orange
- 1/4 cup candied orange peel
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade
- TOPPING
- 2 medium egg whites
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup ground almonds
- 1/4 cup flaked almonds
- 1/4 cup pearl sugar
Instructions
- 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.
Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!
Ha, I'm busy taking the easy way out and you set yourself up for a new challenge each month. LOVE YOUR BREAD! The topping is to die for.
Lora, this is absolutely stunning!! Gorgeous! The texture does look more like a brioche than a panettone, but don't I just prefer it that way! I must try this recipe!
Wow. I don't even know what else to say. The bread has such a beautiful … well, everything. I love the color, the height, the topping, all of it. I'm curious about the hanging upside down thing though.
I'd be anxious too, just thinking about making this lovely loaf. You are a master bread baker, Lora! This is worthy of a magazine cover or the front cover of a cookbook!! STUNNING!
Whoa, no butter in there? Only oil? That's amazing! Your Sicilian orange sweet bread is absolutely beautiful, Lora. I'm in love with your dishes and the cake slicer. You are truly the queen of bread baking, lady. I'm always in awe of the things you make. And I totally need to hear more about hanging panettone upside down. I've always wanted to try making one because of how much I love eating them!
Wow- this is a stunning bread and perfect to celebrate Easter! Sur la table has recently opened near me and I will add panettone papers to my list of treasures to buy there!
What a great recipe, looks so beautiful, I just want to smell it, I bet smell so good.
Thanks, Julie! We'd love to have you!!
[…] #TwelveLoaves bread baking group is baking with oranges all month long! You could bake a quick or yeast bread and join us in our love of ORANGES. Even if […]
This looks delicious!! One question, though. I didn't see the initial baking temperature? Did I miss it? Thanks!
ciao Joann! I start it at 375 F and then for 2nd 1/2 of baking it's at 350F. Hope you had a nice Easter! Buona Pasqua!! grazie. 😉
[…] Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread from Cake Duchess […]
Lori,
I almost missed the party this month but l found a lovely quick bread recipe. Hope you like it as much as I do.
Annamaria
[…] Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread from Cake Duchess […]
The recipe intrigues me especially the addition of orange marmalade. I am thinking that after the addition of the marmalade there is a second rise? It is not clear in the method. Looking forward to making the bread. Yours looks so tempting.
Yes, let it rise again until it reaches the top of the pan (or panettone paper). It took mine about another 1.5 hours to rise enough. Enjoy the bread!
[…] Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread […]