Pandoro

One of the reasons I like Christmas is the influx of delicious Italian sweet yeasted cakes into the markets and food stores and even the supermarkets: Panettone and Pandoro.

Pandoro

Living in Melbourne of course there is a big Italian population and the Italian goodies that get imported are especially good. But it’s fun making them yourself too. It’s relatively easy to find the paper cases used for the fruity Panettone, but moulds to make a glorious fluted Pandoro are more elusive. I randomly found one at a cook shop down on the Mornington peninsula, and swooped on the gorgeous thing…

Pandoro

I’m not sure but I think I might just prefer Pandoro over Panettone. It’s so wonderfully golden, flavoured lightly with vanilla and rum, buttery and decadent. Apparently you are meant to eat it with Spumante, but I mostly eat it for breakfast and there is hardly ever any sweet Italian bubbles round at that time. Happily, Pandoro is great with coffee!

Pandoro

Really you need a proper tin to make a true Pandoro, but it would work in any large deep pan, like a brioche pan. My guess is that you could also make your Pandoro in a ring tin like a nice bundt pan.

This recipe is my adaptation (Google translation) of the Italian recipe that came with my tin. The translation was pretty unintelligible – so if my recipe is unconventional, that is why! Still, it makes a damn fine Pandoro.

Pandoro

Makes a 1 kilo cake, in a pan 18cm deep by approximately 16cm diameter.

ingredients

10g dried yeast
50mL tepid water
70 g flour
5 eggs
3 yolks
400g flour
140g sugar
290g melted butter
3g salt
4 drops of rum
1 tsp vanilla
icing sugar to dust

mixing

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and add the first measure of flour. Mix well.
Pandoro
Leave to rise until doubled in size. Add the rest of the ingredients and knead well. The mixture will be very soft, like a doughy cake batter.
Pandoro
Leave to rise again until doubled. Tip the dough into the Pandoro tin, cover with cling wrap and leave to rise again for about 6 hours or until the dough reaches the top of the tin.
Pandoro
Pandoro
Bake at 180° Celsius for 1 hour and 10 minutes. When cooled turn out of the cake tin, dust with icing sugar.
Pandoro
Enjoy!xxx