Torcolo di San Costanzo (Umbrian Orange, Raisin and Almond Ring Cake)

Dough

• 220 ml Whole milk
• 7 g Instant yeast
• 90 g Caster sugar
• 450 g Plain flour
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt
• 2 tsp Dried orange zest
• 2 Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 80 g Unsalted butter, softened
• 120 g Raisin
• 80 g Almonds

Glaze

• 120 g Icing sugar
• 20 ml Whole milk

1. Warm the milk until just lukewarm, then pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast and 1 tbsp of the caster sugar, stir, and leave for 5 minutes until lightly foamy.
2. Add the flour, salt, dried orange zest, remaining caster sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix with the dough hook on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, then knead for 6 to 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3. With the mixer running on low, add the softened butter a little at a time, letting each addition disappear before adding more. Knead for 4 to 6 minutes until the dough is glossy and pulls away from the bowl.
4. Tip the dough onto the work surface and knead in the raisins and almonds until evenly distributed. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly buttered bowl, cover, and leave to prove until doubled in size.
5. Butter a ring cake tin, then turn out the dough and shape it into a thick rope. Join the ends to form a ring, place in the tin, cover, and prove until puffy and it slowly springs back when pressed.
6. Heat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until deep golden and the cake sounds hollow when tapped; if it browns too quickly, loosely cover the top with foil for the final 10 minutes.
7. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool until just warm. Whisk the icing sugar with the milk to make a thick but pourable glaze, then drizzle over the cake and leave to set.

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