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Torcolo di San Costanzo
Raisin and pine nut ring bread
Torcolo di San Costanzo: Perugia's ring bread with citron, raisins, pine nuts and anise
Perugia celebrates its patron saint, Costanzo, on 29 January with the torcolo: a big ring of soft, lightly sweet bread with candied citron, raisins, pine nuts and aniseed, its top cut five times for the gates of the old city. Young women in Perugia once used the torcolo to test their sweethearts, and it is still eaten everywhere in town that week, often dunked in vin santo by adults. This recipe has no alcohol. Chef's tip: dust the raisins and peel with a little flour before kneading them in, so they stay evenly spread.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp aniseed
- 3 ½ oz raisinssoaked and patted dry
- 2 ⅞ oz candied citrondiced
- 1 ¾ oz pine nuts
- 1 eggbeaten
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 3 ½ oz caster sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp aniseed. Add 1 cup lukewarm water and ¼ cup olive oil and knead for 10 minutes to a soft, smooth dough.
10 minStep 2: Cover and leave for 1½ hours, until doubled.
Step 3: Flatten the dough, scatter with 3 ½ oz raisins, 2 ⅞ oz candied citron and 1 ¾ oz pine nuts dusted in a spoon of flour, and knead until evenly mixed.
Step 4: Roll into a log about 60 cm long and join the ends into a ring on a lined tray. Cover and leave for 45 minutes, until puffy.
Step 5: Brush with 1 egg and make five diagonal cuts around the top. Bake at 350°F (325°F fan) for 40–45 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding. A common mistake is opening the oven early, which makes the ring sink.
45 minStep 6: Cool before slicing. It keeps for 4 days wrapped.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does torcolo di San Costanzo take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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