How to make
Sift the flour into a deep bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour the water in it, which has been slightly warmed to 100°F (40°C). Pour the sugar into the well and crush the yeast and stir to dissolve. Leave the yeast to activate for 5 to 8 minutes in a warm room with the bowl covered with a clean cloth.
Add the oil and sprinkle the salt, liqueur, vinegar and grated anise seeds into the flour around the well.
Mix well with a wooden spoon and when the ingredients come together and start to separate from the sides of the bowl, transfer onto a floured surface and knead into a smooth and elastic dough. Kneading should last 8-10 minutes to activate the gluten and develop the bread's flavors.
Shape it into an oblong loaf and place it in a lightly greased standard rectangular cake tin. You can sprinkle some anise seeds on the bottom and some more on the bread itself.
Make several cross cuts and sprinkle with flour. Leave the bread to rise and double in size for 40-50 minutes.
Bake it in an oven heated to 370°F (185°C) for about 35 minutes or until golden brown.
You can check the readiness of the bread with a toothpick, which should come out clean when inserted into the interior of the bread.
When you take the aromatic anise bread out of the oven, place it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving it.
Enjoy your meal!
