Pan di ramerino is a Tuscan Easter sweet bread, enriched with rosemary (rameri in Tuscan dialect) and raisins.
This bread, with deep roots in the city of Florence, represents a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages.
Originally, Pan di Ramerino was a simple bread blessed in churches on Holy Thursday and distributed to the faithful. The tradition of this sweet bread has evolved over the centuries, from an initially simpler recipe to a sweeter and more complex one, becoming the rich-flavored bread we know today.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
PAN DI RAMERINO
- 5 1/2 cups Manitoba flour
- 1/3 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tsp fresh yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 2/3 oz raisins
- 1/4 cup water
PAN DI RAMERINO
To prepare this sweet Tuscan bread, first soak the raisins in hot water for about 30 minutes.
In a saucepan, add the olive oil along with about 4 sprigs of rosemary. It is recommended to remove the rosemary from the sprigs and crush it a bit (as you should do with any herb) to help release its oils.
Sauté the rosemary in the oil over low heat for about 3 minutes, infusing the oil with the rosemary. Remove from heat to cool, then strain before adding to the bread dough.Add the yeast and sugar to a bowl with warm milk and water. Let the yeast activate in the liquid for a few minutes.
In another bowl, add the flour, liquids, and 100 ml of the cooled infused oil. Leave 20 ml of oil for finishing the rolls.
Knead for 8-10 minutes, adding the salt last.Once the dough is well combined, incorporate the raisins.
The final dough should be soft but not stick to your hands.
Cover the dough and let it rise for about 2/3 hours until it doubles in volume.Take the dough, cut it into various pieces, and form rolls of 80 g each.
Let the rolls rise (covered) for a couple of hours.
Lightly score the top of the rolls with some cross cuts.
Brush with the 20 ml of oil left aside previously.
Bake the bread in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 25/30 minutes.
Et voilà, Pan di ramerino is ready for your Easter 😋
