I prepared this sweet bread recipe yesterday and waited until breakfast today to eat it. Well, I already had two breakfasts as I couldn’t wait to eat more of it.
It is pretty easy to prepare and also funny, as you are supposed to make a twist with two roses (well, my roses weren’t that perfect ;-)).
I don’t know if it’s the butter or the sugar, or just the correct balance amongst the ingredients that give it a softness and flavor that gives real pleasure while eating it. My husband ate it with fruit jam, but I preferred it by itself, just toasted a little (yes, we’re supposed to be in Springtime but days are pretty fresh here in Sardinia).
(I was reading this post again today, as I am posting the Italian version of it, and guess what? The dough is rising in the kitchen ;-), as saw it I HAD to prepare it again! Since this post I’ve prepared it many times, including last August when my father was visiting us. He ate it all over the day, not just for breakfast :-D).
I found this recipe in a great Italian blog, Trattoria da Martina, where I also found the recipe for the irresistible pistachio brittle….
After working the dough (with a robot or with your hands), let it double into a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap.
Then transfer it to a floured surface (I should have added more flour to mine) without working the dough, but just enlarging it with a rolling pin, creating a rectangular shape.
Spread the butter stuffing on its surface. Roll it on itself in the longest way.
Cut both the extremities to create the roses with them. 
Using a sharp knife, cut it in two in the longitudinal sense, beginning 3cm/1.1in from the extremity. 
Turn the extremity on itself and roll one piece with another, making a twist (sorry I forgot to photograph this step :-O). Take each extremity and place on each side, creating a rose shape.
That’s how it will look like. 
Put it carefully inside a plumcake pan greased and floured, or use parchment paper. Let it double again. Then bake in preheated oven at 180°C/356°F for about 35 minutes.
- for the dough:
- 550 g of flour (plus 50 g only if needed)
- 10 g of baker's yeast
- 200 ml of milk
- 100 g of sugar
- 90 g of butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tsp of salt
- for the filling:
- 50 g of softened butter
- 2 Tbsp of sugar
- It is necessary to prepare a "first yeast" for this bread mixing the baker's yeast into the milk and adding flour until it becomes a dense batter.
- Cover the batter with flour creating like a crust and cover with plastic wrap.
- It is ready to use when there are some chinks on the flour surface.
- Pour it into the standing mixer's bowl, add the eggs and part of the flour and turn the kneading on at low speed.
- Add sugar and the remaining flour and, as soon it has been absorbed, add the butter.
- If it is necessary, add 50 g more of flour (it depends on the humidity of the air).
- Grease a bowl with butter and oil, put the dough inside and let it rest covered with plastic wrap.
- Mix the sugar with the butter for the filling.
- When the dough doubles its size, transfer it to a floured surface and, without kneading it, just roll it out forming a rectangle.
- Spread the butter and sugar on the dough.
- Roll it on itself along the longest side.
- Cut the extremities (about 3cm/1 in) to create the roses that are going to be put at the borders
- Using a sharp knife divide the dough in two, in the long way (see photos above), beginning at about 3cm/1 in from the left side.
- Turn the extremity on itself and then interlace the parts creating a twist.
- Put a rose on each extremity.
- Carefully transfer the dough to a plumcake pan covered with parchment paper.
- Bake in pre-heated oven 180°C/356°F.
- Buon appetito!
