Montasù

Montasù (Italian Sweet Date Bread)

Montasù is a rustic sweet bread from northern Italy, studded with soft Medjool dates that caramelize as the loaf bakes. Traditionally leavened with a small amount of sourdough starter (or yeast, in modern home baking), it is enriched with olive oil and traditionally enjoyed at breakfast or alongside cured meats and sharp cheeses.

Prep

25 min

Cook

45 min

Total

70 min

Serves

8-10 slices

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 1½ oz) bread flour, or 00 flour for a more tender crumb
• •200 g (7 oz) Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped; traditional recipes use local dried dates
• •350 ml (1½ cups) lukewarm water, around 28 °C / 82 °F
• •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for the bowl
• •7 g (1 packet) active dry yeast, or 150 g active sourdough starter
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt
• •30 g (2 tbsp) honey, traditional recipes may use chestnut honey
• •1 whole lemon zest, from one unwaxed lemon; optional but common
• •15 g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter, for greasing the pan

Steps

1. 1 If using yeast: dissolve the yeast and a pinch of the honey in 50 ml of the lukewarm water and let it sit 8-10 minutes until foamy. If using sourdough starter, stir it directly into the full amount of water.
2. 2 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture (or starter mixture), the remaining water, olive oil, remaining honey, and lemon zest. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
3. 3 Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-12 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Add small dustings of flour only if the dough sticks badly; it should remain soft.
4. 4 Knead in the chopped dates for the final 2 minutes, distributing them evenly without tearing the dough.
5. 5 Shape the dough into a ball, place in a bowl lightly coated with olive oil, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or until roughly doubled in size. (Cold-retard option: refrigerate 12-18 hours for deeper flavor.)
6. 6 Butter a 22 cm (9 in) round cake pan or line a baking sheet with parchment. Gently deflate the dough, shape it into a tight round, and place it in the prepared pan.
7. 7 Cover and let the shaped loaf proof for 45-60 minutes, until visibly puffy and a finger pressed into the dough leaves a slow-recovering indentation.
8. 8 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F) with a rack in the lower third.
9. 9 Bake for 35-45 minutes. The loaf is fully baked when the internal temperature reads at least 94 °C / 200 °F on an instant-read thermometer, and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil after 25 minutes.
10. 10 Transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 30 minutes before slicing. Montasù is best eaten the day it is baked, lightly toasted or at room temperature.