The Romagna Easter Loaf is a typical sweet for the Easter period used in Emilia Romagna and is generally consumed on Easter morning for breakfast and, like in many places in Italy, accompanied by salami and boiled eggs.
The recipe is not particularly sweet, in fact, I increased the sugar dose by 40 grams compared to what was originally planned.
This is often due to the fact that leavened sweets lose a lot of flavors, so generally, something extra is added, but if you want to try it as tradition dictates, stick to the recommended doses.
As with all regional recipes, of course, we will find some small differences in ingredients and preparation.
I preferred to put the two loaves in a pan to prevent them from spreading during leavening, but generally, they are placed on a baking sheet and left to rise before baking, so you can choose how to proceed.
As you can see, with little yeast the sweet has still become giant, so you won’t have any problems for a successful outcome.
All that remains is to try the recipe and propose it on Easter day.
If you make this or other recipes on my blog, feel free to send me your photos and if you like, I will post them on my FB page in your name.
Approximately 2570 Kcal per loaf
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 2 loaves
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Emilia-Romagna
- Seasonality: Easter
Ingredients to make the Romagna Easter Loaf
For the starter
- 1 cup cup 330W flour or Manitoba flour
- 1/2 cup cup warm water
- 1 tsp tsp fresh yeast
- 2 1/2 cups cups Manitoba flour
- 4 1/4 cups cups all-purpose flour
- 3 medium eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup cup water
- 1/2 cup cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cup lard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/3 cups cups raisins
- 1 tbsp anise liqueur
- starter dough
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp milk
- white sprinkles
Preparation of the Romagna Easter Loaf
The night before, prepare the starter by putting the water, dry yeast, let it dissolve, then add the flour, mix well, and let it rise covered in a closed place overnight for 10-12 hours.
The next morning, first of all, soak the raisins in water and leave them for at least half an hour.
Start the dough by putting the Manitoba flour, sugar, warm water, and milk in the mixer and mix a little.
Then add the warm milk, anise liqueur, and mix, adding one egg at a time and the yolk.
Finally, add the starter and mix well, then add the softened lard, salt, all-purpose flour, and let the dough work for a few minutes.
If you don’t have a mixer, you can still make the dough by hand with some elbow grease, it will turn out just as well.
Once the dough has worked, rinse and drain the raisins well, add them to the dough, and knead just enough to incorporate them well.
Transfer the dough to a large container greased with lard or butter and let it rise for about 3 hours and, in any case, until doubled, in the oven with the light on.
After the rising time, pour the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, divide it into two equal parts….
…. making folds from each side towards the center, repeating this operation at least 3 times.
Transfer the obtained dough into two high-rimmed molds about 10 inches in diameter, or on two baking sheets.
Slightly score the surface with a knife and let it rise for about 2 hours and, in any case, until doubled.
After the dough has risen, prepare a mixture with yolk and milk and brush it on the surface of the loaves, then sprinkle them with the white sprinkles and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 50 minutes.
If it browns too much on the surface during baking, place a sheet of foil over the sweet.
Once baking is complete, remove from the oven and let it cool at least a little before consuming it.
