Gennaro Contaldo: Pane Squarato

30 minutes

Makes 4 large rolls

Taken from Gennaro’s Hidden Italy: Regional Recipes to Treasure for Generations by Gennaro Contaldo (Pavilion).

Aniseed bread. Bread is sacred all over Italy, but in Salemi in Western Sicily, it's also an artform, often worked into shapes depicting animals, fish, plants and religious figures; traditionally given to the church or the poor on annual feast days. There is even a museum in the town to showcase the elaborate sculptures. This particular bagel-type bread from Marsala was traditionally made during Easter to represent the crown of Jesus. The name squarato means ‘parboiled’ as it is boiled before baking, resulting in a smoother, shinier crust.

Got a question on Delia's recipes? Ask Lindsey

Ask a Question

Method

Dilute the yeast in a little of the lukewarm water.

Then, in a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, aniseed and yeast mixture before gradually adding enough of the remaining lukewarm water to obtain a dough. Knead for 10 minutes to form a ball, then cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces of approx. 110–120 g (3¾–4¼ oz) each, leaving about 70 g (2½ oz to be used for the garnish). Take one of the larger pieces of dough and, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out to an approximate length of 30 cm (12 inches). Close the ends into a circle, then repeat with the three remaining large pieces of dough. Roll out the small piece of dough as thin as you can, then cut out 16 flower shapes. Dampen with water to stick, then place 4 on each roll. Cover with a cloth and set aside to rest for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 220°C Fan/240°C/475°F/gas mark 9.

Add the olive oil to a large pot of salted water and bring to the boil. Immerse each bread roll, one at a time, into the boiling water and cook for 10-15 seconds. Drain and leave to dry on a board dusted with flour for about 10 minutes until cool. Line a flat baking tray with baking paper and arrange the bread rolls on it. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 200°C Fan/220°C/425°F/gas mark 7 and continue to bake for a further 20 minutes until golden.

Gennaro’s Hidden Italy: Regional Recipes to Treasure for Generations by Gennaro Contaldo (Pavilion). Image by David Loftus.