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.