FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN

By John C. Wolf, D.O.Associate Professor of Family Medicine Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

CHEF WOLF'S CHRISTMAS rx: ITALIAN HOLIDAY BREAD

For the last several years at holiday time I have written a column containing one of my favorite recipes instead of dealing with a reader's question about health. It is a nice change of pace for me, and it obviously interests a number of readers of the Family Medicine¨ column. I get more comments about the annual cooking script than I do about any other individual topic; perhaps, that is because we all eat, while only some of us have concerns about any given health problem. This year I am offering you a sweet Italian holiday bread -- or cake -- called panettone.

2 pkgs. yeast

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon Fiori Di Sicilia (1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. lemon oil can be substituted for this)

5 - 5 1/2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup baking raisins

1/2 cup chopped citron

Add 1/4 cup sugar to the warm water and mix in yeast. Let this mixture proof (i.e., rest) until vigorously bubbling. In another bowl beat together the butter and remaining sugar until light in color. Then, beat in the 3 eggs. Add the lemon peel, Fiori Di Sicilia (or vanilla and lemon oil), yeast water and 2 1/2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Add the raisins, citron and 2 cups of flour. Knead by hand or by machine until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turning bread over once to also coat the top. Cover this and let it rise until double in volume - 1 to 2 hours. Punch down the dough and shape into 2 round loaves each about 7 inches in diameter. Place these on a baking sheet and let rise until double in height. As an interesting alternative, I bake mine in a clean well-greased (I use Pam) coffee can. This recipe makes one small can (11 ounce size) and one large can (33 ounce size).

Once the bread has risen to the top of the can or has doubled in size, bake in a preheated 350-degree oven. After 25 minutes, cover tops of loaves with foil to reduce the amount of browning. Continue to bake for 35 minutes for the small coffee can or the free-form loaf, or 40 minutes for the large can. A sure way to be certain the bread is properly done is by using a thermometer. The finished bread should be between 185 to 190 degrees in the center of the loaf. Let the bread cool for 5 minutes before removing from the can.

Once the bread has cooled to the point that it is merely warm, lightly brush the top with melted butter. Finish by sprinkling the top with powdered sugar.

One additional word of advice about this recipe is that most raisins are treated with sulfite to inhibit the growth of yeast. This is very good for raisins, but there may be sufficient sulfite to interfere with the action of the yeast in this bread. Occasionally I've had bread that failed to rise properly. You can avoid this potential problem by using raisins that are marked "baking raisins."

"Family Medicine" is a weekly column.

To submit questions, write to: John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.

Past columns are available online at http://www.FamilyMedicineNews.org.