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Pan co' santi
Walnut and raisin loaf
Pan co' santi: Siena's dark All Saints' loaf with walnuts, raisins and black pepper
In Siena and the Tuscan countryside, pan co' santi ('bread with the saints') is baked for All Saints' Day on 1 November, when the new walnuts and the late grapes come in. It is a dark, lightly sweet bread dough rich with olive oil, walnuts, raisins and a surprising amount of black pepper, which gives a warm bite. It is eaten with the new wine by adults, or with roasted chestnuts. It is vegan. Chef's tip: fry the raisins and walnuts briefly in the olive oil before adding them, as Sienese bakers do; it brings out their flavour.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 ½ oz raisinssoaked 20 minutes and drained
- 3 ½ oz walnutsroughly chopped
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- 2 tbsp water mixed with 1 tsp sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast and 1 tsp salt with 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water and knead for 8 minutes to a smooth dough. Cover and leave for 1 hour, until doubled.
8 minStep 2: Warm ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil in a small pan and add 5 ½ oz raisins and 3 ½ oz walnuts for 1 minute. Cool.
2 minStep 3: Knead the oil, raisins, walnuts, 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp black pepper into the dough. It will be oily at first; keep kneading until it comes together.
5 minStep 4: Shape into 2 round loaves, set on a lined tray, cover and leave for 1 hour until puffy.
Step 5: Cut a cross on top, brush with 2 tbsp water mixed with 1 tsp sugar and bake at 375°F (350°F fan) for 35–40 minutes, until dark golden and hollow-sounding. A common mistake is adding the fruit before the first rise, which slows it down a lot.
38 minStep 6: Cool on a rack.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pan co' santi take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
- What can I use instead of walnuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
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