Milan Raisin Bread (Sourdough) - Pan Tramvai

We stumbled upon this recipe on this Italian blog, whilst looking for a good raisin bread recipe.

The history behind this bread is fascinating; this bread is traditional of the Brianza area, in Lombardy.  Known also as the ‘panettone of the poor people’, it was sold at the tram stop that connected Monza to Milano during the 50s and 60s.

This recipe is particularly handy as you can make the bread at night and bake it in the morning to have it fresh with breakfast.

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400 g white strong bread flour

200 g raisins

3 tbsp honey

150 g refreshed sourdough starter 

200 ml water

1/2 glass white wine

1tsp salt

Fine semolina flour

Soak the raisins in the wine for an hour or so. You can skip this step if you prefer not to use alcohol in this recipe.

Before dinner, mix together the flour, sourdough starter, water, honey and salt in a bowl. Turn out on to a surface and knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is soft and elastic.

Add the raisins and work again until they are fully incorporated in the dough.

Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, insert the bowl into a food grade plastic bag l and leave to prove for 1-2 hours. 

After dinner, portion the dough into six and shape into six ball-shaped buns. Transfer the buns onto a greased baking tray, insert the baking tray into a food grade plastic bag and proof for 10 to 12 hours.

In the morning, sprinkle the buns with some fine semolina flour and preheat the oven at 220C.  Bake for 15 minutes at 200C, then a further 15 minutes at 180C.