In a medium bowl dissolve the fresh brewer's yeast with the lukewarm water and mix in the flour until incorporated. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to mature at room temperature for 20 - 24 hours.

Soak the raisins in vin santo and add some water, enough to cover them. Soak for an hour, then drain and squeeze the raisins.

Chop finely the rosemary and put it in a pan with the olive oil. Heat the olive oil over low heat. As soon as the rosemary begins to fry, turn the heat off. Let it cool down lightly.

Dissolve the fresh brewer's yeast with half of the water. Add the first dough, the flour and the sugar and mix with the dough hook for about 5 minutes, then add the salt and keep kneading adding the water slowly until the dough is smooth and not sticking. You can also do it by hand with a lot of patience. It is a long job, but completely doable.

Add the rosemary and the olive oil and knead with the dough hook at low speed for about ten minutes, until the mixture has completely absorbed the olive oil, has become smooth and not too sticky.

In the last 5 minutes add the raisins and knead just enough to incorporate them.

Transfer the dough in a greased bowl and let it relax for about 15 minutes in a warm place, as in the closed oven with the little light on.

After this much required rest you can shape the buns, dividing the dough into pieces of 65 g each.

Now you can shape the buns following the links I provided in this post. It's not hard, you just need some practice.

Arrange the round buns in two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, allowing them enough space to rise.

Beat an egg with a tablespoon of water and brush gently each bun. Let them rise again for about 25 minutes, then carve them with a cross just like in the picture and brush again with the egg wash.

Let them rise again until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 180°C and bake the buns for about 15-20 minutes, until they are golden and well puffed.

Meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup: boil for about 10 minutes over medium heat the water with the sugar and the open and scraped vanilla bean.

As soon as you take the buns out of the oven, brush them with the hot sugar syrup and let them dry completely.

They are irresistible eaten just out of the oven, but they will keep well for 5-6 days into a tin box or in a Ziploc bag.