Pandoro is a classic Italian Christmas bread. This bread, which will fill your kitchen with the scent of lemon as it bakes, is high-rising and sports a wonderful domed top. Its shape makes it perfectly suited to the tall pans that are a feature of most bread machines.

Large 1 1/2-pound Loaf
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon lemon oil or 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup (2 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups (15 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) golden raisins, coarsely chopped with 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour*

*This is most easily accomplished in a blender or small food processor.

Place all of the ingredients, including the raisins, into the pan of your bread machine. Program the machine for Basic White Bread, Light Crust, and press Start. Check the dough with about 10 minutes remaining in the final kneading cycle, and adjust the consistency by adding flour or water as needed; it should be smooth and supple. Allow the machine to complete its cycle, and place the finished bread on a rack to cool.

After cooling, this bread can be wrapped in clear cellophane and tied with a bright ribbon for gift-giving. And one more thing -- before leaving a loaf of bread for the postal delivery person, make sure the mailbox is out of Fido's reach...

Nutrition information per serving (1/2-inch slice, 53g): 144 cal, 3.8g fat, 3g protein, 19g complex carbohydrates, 4g sugar, 1g dietary fiber, 43mg cholesterol, 210mg sodium, 74mg potassium, 38RE vitamin A, 1mg iron, 47mg calcium, 46mg phosphorus.