Buccellato di Lucca

Name: Buccellato di Lucca
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Toscana
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; 120 g caster sugar; 15 g Fresh yeast; 200 ml Whole milk; 50 g Unsalted butter; 2 whole Eggs; 15 g aniseed; 100 g sultanas; 5 g Fine sea salt

Buccellato di Lucca is a traditional sweet yeasted bread ring from Tuscany, distinctively flavoured with aromatic aniseed and plump sultanas.

🇮🇹Italy· Tuscany

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 70 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 340 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

500 g strong white bread flour — tipo 0 or high-protein flour
120 g caster sugar — plus extra for glaze
15 g Fresh yeast — or 7 g active dried yeast
200 ml Whole milk — lukewarm
50 g Unsalted butter — softened at room temperature
2 whole Eggs — 1 whole for dough, 1 yolk for glaze
15 g aniseed — whole semi di anice
100 g sultanas — soaked in warm water and drained
5 g Fine sea salt — fine table salt

Equipment

•baking tray
•baking parchment
•mixing bowl
•pastry brush
•wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 340 kcal
fat: 7 g
carbs: 60 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 8 g
calories: 340 kcal

Instructions

1
Soak the sultanas in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper.
2
Dissolve the yeast and one teaspoon of sugar in the lukewarm milk, leaving it until frothy.
3
Combine the flour, remaining sugar, aniseeds, and salt in a large mixing bowl, creating a central well.
4
Pour the frothy yeast milk, one whole egg, and softened butter into the well, mixing to form a rough dough.
5
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for ten minutes until smooth, supple, and elastic.
6
Work the dried sultanas evenly into the dough, then transfer to a lightly greased bowl to rise for two hours.
7
Shape the risen dough into a long sausage, join the ends to form a ring, and set on a lined tray.
8
Cut a shallow slit along the top surface with a sharp knife and let rise for one hour until puffed.
9
Whisk the egg yolk with a splash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar, then brush generously over the ring.
10
Bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for 30 to 35 minutes until deeply golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.

Chef's tips

Dry the sultanas thoroughly before kneading them into the dough so they do not add unwanted moisture. The signature cut along the crown creates the characteristic split top crust as the loaf expands in the oven. For a glossier finish, brush the crust with a light sugar syrup immediately after removing it from the oven.

Ingredient substitutions

fresh yeast → 7 g fast-action dried yeast, mixed directly into the dry flour
sultanas → regular dark raisins or dried currants

Storage

Keep wrapped in a clean linen tea towel or airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Reheating

Warm thick slices under a moderate grill or in a toaster for two minutes to refresh the crumb.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Adding wet sultanas directly into the dough, which makes the texture sticky and heavy.
•Skipping the top slash, preventing the bread from expanding properly during baking.
•Baking at too high a temperature, which burns the sugary crust before the interior cooks.

Serving suggestions

Slice thickly and serve with a bowl of fresh macerated strawberries.Dunk slices into a small glass of Tuscan Vin Santo or sweet white wine.Toast leftover slices and spread generously with unsalted butter for breakfast.