The sweet loaf of St. Francis is a leavened dessert great for both breakfast and snack time.
An ancient recipe that friars used to prepare to celebrate their founding saint.
A very soft brioche with a golden color on the outside, very tasty and with an aroma that captivates you.
The only drawback is that it requires several hours of leavening to achieve a result that can only be tasted and not imagined.
So follow my recipe with step-by-step photos and make the St. Francis loaf.
If you make any of my recipes, send me the photos and I’ll publish them on my page with your name.
Approx. 350 Kcal per person
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 10 Hours 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, St. Francis
Ingredients to make the Sweet Loaf of St. Francis
- 1 tsp Fresh brewer's yeast
- 1/3 cup Whole milk
- 5 tbsp Butter
- 1/3 cup Wildflower honey
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 oz Raisins
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 oz Candied orange
- 1 oz Candied citron
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
Preparation of the Sweet Loaf of St. Francis
First, dissolve the yeast with 50 ml of milk, then add 90 grams of flour and knead until you get a small dough.
Let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, soak the raisins in water for at least 30 minutes, then rinse well and drain them in a sieve.
After the rising time, place the risen dough in the mixer, add the softened butter, milk, 170 grams of flour kneading for a few minutes.
Then add the egg yolk, honey, grated lemon zest, citron, raisins, candied orange, salt, the remaining little flour and mix again with the mixer for a few minutes until you get a non-sticky dough.
Let rise for 30-45 minutes covered and warm, then take the dough, work it to create a smooth ball and place it in a high-sided baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Flatten the dough a bit on the baking sheet and let it rise for 8 hours covered and warm.
After rising, cut a cross on the loaf and bake in a hot oven at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve once cooled.
