The Fresh Loaf

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Festive/ Xmas bread of Lake Como- MATALOC !!

greedybread's picture
greedybread

Festive/ Xmas bread of Lake Como- MATALOC !!

The Xmas bread (but also festivals) of Lake Como.

Mataloc is also offered as a dessert………with a bit of mascarpone

This is what we want!!

This bread is chocca block with goodies and not so much butter that its too rich.

Very similar to panettone but the taste is a little different.

This bread needs a serious warning!!

Seriously addictive….

So light, yet not overly sweet, so that you can munch away and OHHHHH its all gone !!

Squisiti!

What do you need? 

The willpower of Job not to eat it all……………..by yourself…………

You will need to allow time to make this…. best start at night as it needs overnight 1st proving or at least 8-10 hours to rest.

So without further ado…

LETS GET YEASTY!! VERY MUCH SO TODAY!!

 

Ready for first rise…

For Pre- Ferment:

2tsp of dried yeast

Half a cup of warm water

Half a cup of Strong bakers flour

For dough:

Half a tsp of yeast

1 tbsp honey

1/4 cup of warm water

1 cup castor sugar

3 large eggs

3 cups of Strong bakers flour

Pinch of salt

2 tsp fennel( or anise) seeds

Grated zest of 2 oranges

Grated zest of 2 lemons

160g butter

chopped and flour dusted fruit and nuts

 

Fruit/ nut mix:

1 cup hazelnuts

1 cup pecans ( i prefer but you can use walnuts)

4 dried figs chopped

1 large cup raisins

1 tbsp flour

 

After first rise

 

Stir yeast (pre ferment) into warm water and leave 15 minutes until creamy.

Add flour and mix well, cover and let stand for an hour.

Place in mixing bowl, 2nd amount of yeast, with water and honey.

Allow to stand for 10 minutes until creamy.

Stir in the sugar and eggs, then add in pre ferment.

Add in the zest, fennel, salt and flour.

Mix the butter into dough .

Knead in mixer for 5-6 minutes until smooth but sticky.

Place in a well oiled bowl and cover with gladwrap and leave at room temperature overnight to double in volume.

Ready to add fruit and nuts

Lightly turn out dough on lightly floured area and press out the dough.

Toss fruit and nuts in flour and spread 1/3 of fruit etc on the flattened dough.

Roll up dough and flatten again, repeating the above process until all fruit and nuts are incorporated in the dough.

Allow dough to rest ten minutes in between additions of fruit and nuts.

Adding the yum!!

 

When all fruit is incorporated, place in well oiled mould.

I use a big casserole dish (see below) I have that happens to have tall sides!!

THE BIG BLUE BEASTIE!!

But I have to say that the only disadvantage to this , is that you can’t hang the cake upside down to cool.

www.thefreshloaf.com

It is so light, you need to hang it to cool so it doesn’t collapse in, which mine did slightly……..BUT my panettone hasn’t as yet:)

Panettone moulds are good.

In fact, I could put them inside my big blue beasty as I do have paper moulds…..

But they need to be WELL GREASED!!

I will use my blue dish to make monster panettone.

Panettone papers/ moulds

 

Ok, back to recipe…

Cover and allow to rise for 3-4 hours until doubles in size.

Heat oven to 210 celsius and place Mataloc in the oven.

Bake for ten minutes and reduce heat to 190 celsius and cook for another 45-60 minutes.

Remove from the mould and allow to cool on rack or try the hanging method above.

Lovely and golden

 

As soon as you are able….

Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy!!

A lick of mascarpone ?

Have a wedge (or two)

 

Dont be shy now!!

See the zest and the plump raisins………..

Big bite!

 

Recipe Adapted from Carol Field’s “The Italian Baker”, 2 Ed, 2011.

Comments

gmagmabaking2's picture
gmagmabaking2

and what a great story teller you are ... makes me want to jump right up and mix that puppy up... but I will wait a bit... looks really good, enjoyed reading your process. Awesome.

Diane

greedybread's picture
greedybread

hope you enjoy it when you make it....

nice with a wee tipple too:)

fancy4baking's picture
fancy4baking

I'm off to the kitchen right now to make this beauty though i haven't yet received my new mixer, but i want to make it, i can't wait.

Thanks for the recipe and prep

Good work :D

gmabaking's picture
gmabaking

I am baking in two paper molds. My sister Diane will be baking soon in a large crock similar to yours. A couple of questions before she puts it in the oven-it looks like you bake it in the same bowl in which is was proofed. Did you put it in a cold oven or a hot oven? Do you remove it from the bowl when it first comes out? I am baking at 400 degrees for ten minutes and then at 350 for 40-45 minutes. I've never tried the hanging method for panetonne but I do put a folded dish towel on a soft pillow and then gently lay the bread on its side to cool. So far that has worked fine.

Hope to hear from you,

Barbra

greedybread's picture
greedybread

hi there

my apologies but as you were baking, i was sleeping as i am 12 hours or so ahead :)

it looks like it all turned out well, let me know how it tastes...

I loved this bread...

your questions

"Did you put it in a cold oven or a hot oven?" eerrr sorry not sure what you mean here...and don't want to make what i say sound wrong or smart...

I did not hang this one, hence as you can see the slight dipping in of the mataloc...but i do usually on the panettone and it works a treat...

i would go with what you have tried and works... as they say 'why fix what is not broke!"...

hope you enjoyed it:)

gmagmabaking2's picture
gmagmabaking2

Here are the Matalocs that my sister Barb and I baked today, after overnight proofing.

  Barb rests her's on pillows so the bread cools gently and doesn't fall.   Lovely loaves.  She made her's in paper molds. YUM... Whomever she gifts these to, will be blessed.

 Here is one out of the mold.  Cutting can't be that far away now... 

Mine (below) came out pretty good... my husband is practically walking in circles waiting for me to cut into this!

Hope the taste is al good as it looks!     

Will add crumb shots later.

Happy Holiday Baking, Thanks Greedybread for the inspiration!

Diane

greedybread's picture
greedybread

If i wasn't in the middle of the Stollen, i would ahve a nother go...

whihc i will for our new year i think...

a slice of mataloc and a wee tipple to toast in the new year

enjoy!!

and merry xmas...

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

Just beautifully baked Holiday MATALOC!

gmagmabaking2's picture
gmagmabaking2

Crumbs will be all that is left and very soon.  Thanks Greedybread, again for the inspiration. My sister Barb has been doing Stollen... this is my first attempt at a "Festive" bread. Here are our crumb shots.

  Barb's crumbs... 

and mine are below... 

 Very good... a little more crumbily than I would have liked... but I am going to age some and see if that improves with time... most things do (like me)! 

May your Christmas be blessed.

Diane (and Barbra)

 

 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

what a great Xmas bread! Nice baking.

greedybread's picture
greedybread

hope you enjoyed it!! 

greedybread's picture
greedybread

i hope you had a good xmas as well and I look forward to reading your bread adventures in the new year...

I really like your idea of aging it. Esp if you adjusted the liquor in it to help preserve it....

Very much like a stollen in that regard....

Let me know how it goes...

best wishes for the new year

Michelle