Ingredients for 2 Panina loaves:500 g flour (plus a handful for kneading the dough)500 g pancetta (or bacon)250 ml approx. of lukewarm water50 g butter (plus a knob to brush on the baked loaves)½ glass Extra Virgin Olive Oil25 g fresh yeast1 egg1 tsp sugar salt pepper
Dice the pancetta and sauté it in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. When it has browned, remove from the stove and set aside. Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water with a teaspoon of sugar in a jug. Arrange the flour in a heap on your work surface and form a "well" in the centre; break the egg into it, then add the softened butter (kept out of the fridge for at least 25 minutes), olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour in the dissolved yeast, a little at a time, and start mixing with a fork, taking the flour from around the edge. When the dough has become firm enough, knead it with your hands, then add the cubes of pancetta and knead again with your hands to distribute it evenly. When you have a smooth, soft ball of dough, place it in a large bowl, cover it with a cotton cloth and leave to rise for about 2 hours. After that, tip the dough – which will have doubled in size – out onto a work surface sprinkled with a handful of flour, divide it in half and knead each one separately to form the 2 Panina loaves. Leave to rise for about another 45 minutes, then place them on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, and bake in a preheated oven, at 180 °C, for roughly 40 minutes. Take them out of the oven and, while still hot, brush them with the butter. It’s best to let the Panina loaves rest for several hours before eating them.
The “Panina” is a typical recipe from Arezzo and the surrounding area, it is prepared especially during the Easter period. There are 2 versions of it: the yellow Panina, which is sweet and full of raisins, and the savoury Panina, with diced pancetta.