Focaccia Veneziana
Two 10-cup Bundt Cakes (go ahead, if you are spending the time, make a 2nd for a friend!)
Step One – The Sponge:
½ cup warm water
2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp honey
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 rounded cups of all-purpose flour
Step Two – The First Dough
2 Tbsp warm water
½ tsp active dry yeast
4 Tbsp dry milk (I always keep a container on hand)
½ cup granulated sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
6 large egg yolks (keep the whites for a delicious angel food cake)
2 tsp kosher salt
2 rounded cups of all-purpose flour
Step Three – The Second Dough
4 Tbsp honey
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla paste
Zest of two oranges
8 large egg yolks (you almost have an angel food cake!)
4 ½ - 5 cups all-purpose flour
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup golden raisins, soaked overnight in your favorite rum
1) The night before, soak the golden raisins in your favorite rum (enough to fully cover the raisins).
2) Prepare the sponge: In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk together the warm water, dry yeast and honey. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy. With the paddle, stir in the eggs and then the flour to make a soft dough. Remove the paddle, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let double in size – about 45 minutes.
3) Prepare the first dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the water and yeast and let stand for 10 minutes until foamy. Whisk in the dry milk, the sugar, the butter and then the eggs. With the paddle going on your standing mixer, stir this new mixture into your sponge. In another small bowl, whisk together the salt and flour. Add this to the mixture until the dough just comes together. Again, remove the paddle, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let double in size – about 45 minutes.
4) Prepare the bundt pans by lightly brushing them with melted butter and lightly dust with all-purpose flour. Pour your raisins into a strainer and save the draining liquor.
5) Add the remaining honey, granulated sugar, vanilla and orange zest to the dough and mix together with the paddle. Add the egg yolks. Switch to the dough hook and mix in the flour, one cup at a time, then mix in the butter, one Tbsp at a time. Mix until the dough comes together, but it will never fully pull away from the bottom of the bowl. Finally, lightly mix in the raisins.
6) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two equal portions. Dust again with flour and shape each portion into a thick log about one foot long. Place the dough into the bundt pans bringing the edges together. They will join as the dough completes its final rise. Cover the pans with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled. This could take two hours.
7) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly slash the top of the cakes with a razor blade and then bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes until solid and golden. The cakes will rise dramatically in the oven! Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then turn out of the pans. Brush the cakes with the reserved soaking rum liquor. Cool complete and then dust with confectioner’s sugar.
