World Bread Day 2010 : Ciambelle al Mosto di Marino

Few days ago while I was thinking about the World Bread Day I spoke with my friend Cinzia and she told me she was trying to reproduce the typical Ciambelle al mosto di Marino, a little town near Rome famous for its wine, that are made during the grape harvest using must.

I searched my books and the net and found a nice recipe on Gennarino an Italian recipes website, if you desire here is the original recipe. Cinzia is always changing the given recipes as a pose to me so here is my Stick to the recipe version.

The ciambelle are really simple as old fashion cooking is : no butter, milk or much else not even olive oil. A very simple bread dough made with must and sweetened with sugar, raisins and anise seeds.

RECIPE

(from Gennarino by tuCoque)

Bread Flour 250 gr
All Purpose Flour 250 gr
Must 250 ml
Yeast 4 gr
Sourdough 120 gr
Sugar 150 gr
Raisins 70 gr
Eggs 2 n°
Anise seeds 4 TBS
Confectioners Sugar 2 TBS
Salt 1 pinch

If you do not have must but have two bunch of grapes smash (!) them with your hands and let them ferment for a couple of days covered with a clean cloth. When you see it bubbling strain it and cook it for 15 minutes on a low flame.

Use a sourdough refreshed two hours before.
Activate dry yeast dissolving it in 40 grams of warm water (26 °). After some minutes, add two teaspoons of sugar and 50 grams of bread flour and let rise for a quarter of an hour.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, pour the must, the yeast, the sourdough, and the remaining bread flour (200 grams). Mix on low speed until it comes together then for about 4 minutes at medium speed, cover and let rise for fifteen minutes, then turn on the mixer for a few seconds and cover again do this three more times.

Meanwhile, soak the raisins in a little liquor and water.
Beat eggs with sugar, add a pinch of salt and aniseed.

At the end of the first rising, add all other ingredients, including remaining flour. Knead until the dough is smooth. Finally add the drained raisins .

If you have time and desire, refrigerate for 12 hours. Otherwise you may let rise at room temperature.

When the dough has doubled, cut from it pieces weighing 100 grams each. With floured hands, form each piece quickly in a tight ball, then drill it with a finger, and gently enlarge the hole without tearing. Place the buns on baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let double in volume.

Meanwhile turn the oven to 180 degrees. Bake the buns for about 12 minutes (even less, depending on the oven). When still warm brush with a thick syrup made with icing sugar and very little must.

Few days ago I went to Amalfi and even if the wheather wasn't the best Costiera Amalfitana is always a great place to visit !

I went there for an estimate on a very precious piece which is kept in Amalfi's Museo del Duomo( in this link there is another picture of the mitre) .

Even from my photo you can see how beautiful this Mitre is !