The Romagnola Bread of the Dead is a traditional sweet typical of the month of the dead, November, from the dialect term belonging to Emilia-Romagna, which my friends from Riccione, Maddalena and Alessandra, prepare excellently. Although the name might be misleading, it is not a piadina but a true focaccia or bread, consumed in these days to honor the dead. The recipe varies depending on the area, so there are different versions, and in some, wine must is added, in others, anise or fennel, and so on, but in any case, the base always remains the same. Although the process requires some working time, as is the case for any leavened dough, you absolutely must try it because it’s delicious, and the preparation is really simple.
Here are links to some other recipes, also belonging to the Romagna tradition:
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6/8 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn
Ingredients
- 3.2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tbsp dry yeast
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 oz egg
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp heaping pine nuts
- 1 tbsp heaping blanched almonds
- 1 tbsp heaping walnut kernels
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Tools
- 1 Cake Pan 9 inches in diameter
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Hand Whisk
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Plastic Wrap
- 1 Brush
- 1 Small Pot
How to prepare the Romagnola Bread of the Dead
First, soak the raisins, and pour the dry yeast into 1/2 cup of warm water. Then pour the egg into a bowl, along with the brown sugar.
Beat with a hand whisk, add the extra virgin olive oil, and the yeast dissolved in water.
Still using the hand whisk, mix well, add the flour, and knead with your hands.
As the last ingredient, add the raisins but only after removing them from the soak and squeezing them well. Turn the dough onto the worktable, and knead until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough. Finally, form a sort of ball.
Let it rise in the same bowl as the dough, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 4 hours. After this time, take the dough again and knead it for a few more minutes.
Roll it out within the cake mold, 9 inches in diameter, lined with parchment paper, and let it rise for another hour. After this period, add the pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, and distribute over the entire surface, making them adhere well to the dough.
Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F, and let it cook for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by putting 1 tablespoon of water and one of sugar in a small bowl. Place it on the fire, let the sugar melt, and distribute the syrup on the bread still in the oven with a brush. Cook for another 5 minutes. After that, remove it immediately from the oven to prevent it from drying out.
Serve your Romagnola Bread of the Dead, only after letting it cool on a cake rack.
Tips, variants, notes, and storage
You can store the Romagnola Bread of the Dead like any cake: inside a paper bread bag or under a glass cake dome.
If you do not like or are intolerant to some type of nuts, feel free to remove the ones that bother you, but still add the rest.
To keep it longer, you can freeze it either raw or cooked.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How do I split a fresh egg to get the required weight?
Break a whole egg, put it in a small bowl, beat it with a fork, and at this point, take the required weight.
