Italian Easter recipe ~ Buccellato di Lucca recipe

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Preparation Time : 2 hours Cooking Time : 50 minutes
Makes : 2 rings, each about 1 1/3 lb

Ingredients :

• ½ cup raisins
• ¼ cup grappa, or sweet or dry Marsala
• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• ¾ cup warm milk (100°F)
• 1½ tbsp anise seed
• ½ butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tspn vanilla
• 1 tspn grated orange peel
• ½ tspn each anise extract and salt
• about 4¾ cups all-purpose flour

Preparation and Cooking Instructions :

1. Combine the raisins and grappa and let stand for 30 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, stir yeast and anise seed into milk. Let stand until yeast softens, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, using a large wooden spoon or an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, stir in vanilla, orange peel, anise extract, and salt. Add yeast mixture, grappa drained from the raisins and 4½ cups flower, mix until evenly moistened.
3. To knead with a dough hook, beat at high speed until dough pulls cleanly from sides of bowl, 10-12 minutes ad a little flour if required, stir in raisins.
4. To knead by hand, scrape dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic about 15 minutes, add as little flour as possible to stop sticking. Knead in raisins and place dough in a greased bowl, turn over the grease top.
5. Cover dough, kneaded by either method, with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size about 1 hour. Knead briefly to expel air.
6. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 20" long rope. Place each rope on a greased 12" by 15" baking sheet. Join ends of each and pinch to seal. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until puffy 25-30 minutes. Beat remaining egg to blend. Remove plastic wrap and brush lightly over dough.
7. Bake in a 350°F oven until richly browned 25-35 minutes. (If using one oven, switch pan position after 15 minutes.)
8. Serve warm or cool. For longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 1 month.