I made the Buccellato of Lucca with my Panasonic Croustina, a faster and more convenient way to make our dessert.
Of course, you can make it with a stand mixer, or by working everything by hand with a lot of patience.
Buccellato is a sweet bread that dates back to very ancient times, it was a sweet prepared on the occasion of the confirmation of one’s children, today it is a dessert that is always available and is prepared for any occasion, even for a simple snack.
The occasion where this typical Tuscan sweet will certainly not be missing is during the celebrations of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Palio della Balestra, very important events.
A dessert so soft that it conquers you, and its scent spreads throughout the house.
The Buccellato of Lucca is traditionally shaped like a donut as I made it, but today it is also widely available in a long shape because it’s more convenient to transport.
If you make this or other recipes you find on the blog, send me the photos, and I will publish them on my page with your name.
Approx. 270 Kcal per person
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 12 people
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven, Bread Machine
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for making the Buccellato of Lucca with Bread Machine
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp fresh yeast
- 1 cup water
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 2 1/2 tbsp anise seeds
- 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Tools
- 1 Bread Machine bread machine
Preparation of the Buccellato of Lucca with Bread Machine
First, soak the raisins in warm water for at least 20-30 minutes.
In a cup, combine 100 ml of water and the fresh yeast, and let it dissolve.
In the bread machine’s basket, place the kneading blade, then add the flour and sugar, followed by the liquid with the dissolved yeast.
Add the water, egg yolk, and butter in pieces, then insert the basket into the bread machine and set the dough program. In my bread machine, it’s program 17, and it lasts 45 minutes.
Start the machine, and when there are 5 minutes left to finish kneading, add the well-drained and squeezed sultanas and the anise seeds.
Complete the kneading until all ingredients are incorporated. If it seems like it needs more kneading, you can restart the program for 4-5 more minutes, but it likely won’t be necessary.
Prepare a large bowl for rising, add a little oil, and with oiled hands, take the dough from the bread machine’s basket and transfer it to the bowl.
In the bowl, shape the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly with your hands, and let it rise for about 3 hours.
Once risen, transfer the dough to a work surface, shape it into a fairly long and somewhat thin log, but not too thin.
Prepare a 28-30 cm diameter ring mold. If you don’t have one, use a mold without a hole and place a greased glass in the center.
Grease and flour the mold, or as I did, use parchment paper. Transfer the log to the mold, arrange it well, and flatten it slightly so it rises evenly.
Score the surface of the log to help with rising.
Let it rise again for at least 1 hour. Once it has doubled in volume, before baking, beat the egg white in a glass with 2 tablespoons of warm water and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Brush the surface of the dessert with this mixture and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 40 minutes, checking for doneness.
Of course, if you don’t have a bread machine, you can knead the dough by hand or with a stand mixer.
Before consuming it, let it cool well… enjoy and let me know!
