This cake from Forlì also has an ancient history and I dare say “miraculous”! It was back in 1428 when the fire broke out in Forlì and the cult of the Madonna del Fuoco was born. On the night between February 4 and 5, the flames enveloped the school where Lombardino da Riopetroso taught, destroying everything except the paper woodcut depicting the Madonna and Child surrounded by saints that the teacher had exposed on a wall to have his students pray. The miracle certainly did not go unnoticed and, over time, the devotion to the Virgin (which was accompanied by the nickname “Fire”), became increasingly felt and was chosen as the patron saint of the city. The woodcut (now one of the oldest that exist), is exhibited in a chapel inside the city cathedral. Every year on February 4, the feast of the patron saint of Forlì is celebrated, during which the city bakers prepare and sell the ancient sweet bread made from aniseed and sugar, which for centuries has been known by the name of Piadina della Madonna del Fuoco.
Ingredients for 6 people:
· 500 g of flour
· half a cube of brewer's yeast
· 2 eggs
· 100 g of sugar
· 100 g of butter
· 15 g aniseed
· 200 ml of milk
Preparation
Dissolve the yeast in 100 ml of warm milk to which add a teaspoon of sugar and mix everything with 100 g of flour. So let it rise for a couple of hours. Then add the remaining flour, sugar, butter, eggs, aniseed and the dough of flour and yeast that you have prepared. Knead and add enough milk to obtain a smooth and elastic dough. Let it rise for another three hours and then divide it into fifteen balls. Roll out each ball to a thickness of about half a centimetre, let the scones rise again for another hour. Brush the centre of the scones with a little water and sprinkle with caster sugar. Finally, bake in a static oven at 180° for about 25 minutes or until they become pinkish.
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