Mandarin Bread

Ingredients

• 320 g wheat semolina
• 250 g sugar
• 1.5 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 0.25 tsp cloves powder
• 1 tbsp grated orange and mandarin zest (unprocessed)
• 125 ml orange juice
• 125 ml mandarin juice
• 175 g currants
• 80 g sultanas
• 125 ml olive oil
• 320 g flour
• 0.5 cube yeast (ca. 20 g)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 60 ml orange juice
• flour (for kneading as needed)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Mix semolina, sugar, cinnamon, coriander, cloves and citrus zest in a large bowl for the fruit mixture. In separate bowls combine half of the orange and mandarin juices with currants and sultanas; cover and let sit for 1 hour. Heat olive oil and remaining juices, then stir in the soaked currants and sultanas into the semolina mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. 2.

   Sift flour into a bowl, crumble yeast into a well, add sugar and 2 tbsp lukewarm water; mix. Let rise covered for 30 minutes in a warm spot. Add orange juice and 60 ml warm water, knead into a smooth dough. Allow the yeasted dough to rise again covered for 1 hour. Remove semolina mixture from fridge.

3. 3.

   Knead the yeast dough with the semolina mixture. If the dough is too soft, fold in 3–4 handfuls of flour and let rest covered for another 30 minutes.

4. 4.

   Shape the dough into three equal oval loaves on a floured surface; place on parchment-lined baking sheet and cover to rise again for 30 minutes.

5. 5.

   Preheat oven to 180 °C. Bake the mandarin loaves for about 45 minutes. Let cool, then store well wrapped.