Pane di ramerino, Rosemary Bread

Pan di ramerino is a sweet Tuscan bread that is additionally enriched with raisins, olive oil, selected spices, and – ramerino, which means rosemary. The bread can also be enriched with walnuts and black pepper, depending on personal preferences.

Visually, this delicacy looks like a soft bun imprinted with a criss-cross design on top. Traditionally, pan di ramerino was made by peasants for Giovedi Santo (Holy Thursday), but today it can be found in Florentine bakeries throughout the year. It is recommended to serve the sweet bread with cheese, butter, and coffee or sweet wine on the side.

Ingredients:

Starter:

• 1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
• 1 cup flour

Dough:

• 3 to 3-1/2 cups flour, divided
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup raisins

Egg Wash:

• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

To make the starter:

1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast and warm water; let sit until creamy, about 5 minutes.  Put the flour in another bowl.  Stir in the yeast mixture.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight or up to 24 hours.  The mixture will become thick and bubbly. After 24 hours, you can refrigerate the starter for up to 3 days.

To make the dough:

In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of flour, the sugar, salt and rosemary.

Add the starter to the bowl along with the olive oil.  Stir until a dough forms.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Knead in the raisins.

Lightly oil a large bowl.  Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to coat both sides with the oil.  Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free place for 1-1/2 hours, or until double in volume.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal-size pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball.  Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, allowing space between them for the dough to expand.  Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour, or until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

With a sharp knife, cut a cross-hatch pattern ( like a tic-tac-toe design)  on top of each dough ball.  Brush each ball generously with the egg wash.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.  Transfer the rolls to a wire rack to cool completely.