Homemade pandoro is one of the best traditional Italian desserts there is. With its intense aroma and golden colour, this traditional Veronese dessert is a real must on our table during the Christmas period. Each bite is a bit like a dive back into the past that brings back memories of when we were children. Here's how pandoro is made according to the traditional recipe.
The ingredients of homemade pandoro
Pandoro is a very ancient dessert. Some say it descends from an ancient Roman dessert. For others it is decidedly younger and they believe it derives from the "pane de oro" of the 13th century. The Veronese pandoro as we know it today was born in 1800.
The traditional pandoro recipe is made up of 3 doughs: the biga which is the pre-dough, the first dough and the second dough. This serves to give the pandoro greater fragrance and softness also thanks to the use of manitoba flour which is suitable for long leavening...
Here are the ingredients for a pandoro weighing approximately 1kg:
- Manitoba flour 455gr;
- Water 33gr;
- Fresh brewer's yeast 13gr;
- Sugar 170gr;
- 4 whole eggs;
- 2 egg yolks;
- Butter 185gr;
- Honey 25gr;
- Vanilla Essence;
- Icing sugar for decoration.
How do you make homemade pandoro?
The preparation of homemade pandoro is not difficult, but to prepare a homemade pandoro with flakes it is necessary to follow some steps so that it is soft and fragrant. Let's start with what is probably the most important of the 3 preparation steps, the biga, or the pre-dough:
- Dissolve fresh brewer's yeast in warm water just above room temperature. If the water is too cold or too hot this negatively affects leavening.
- Then combine everything in the bowl of the mixer together with 65g of manitoba flour. Knead until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
- Form a spherical loaf and leave it to rise for an hour, taking care to cover it until it has doubled in volume.
Homemade pandoro recipe: the first dough
Once you have prepared the biga and let it rise, it is time to prepare the first pandoro dough. To do this, just add to the biga:
- 12g of Manitoba flour;
- 40g of sugar;
- 1 whole egg.
Work the dough quickly for about 10 minutes, until it becomes homogeneous. Cover it carefully and let it rise for about 2 hours. At the end of which you will see that the dough has grown considerably.
Homemade Pandoro: the second dough
The time has come to prepare the second dough. Its preparation is similar to the previous one. Add to the first dough:
- 270g of Manitoba flour;
- 130g of sugar;
- 25g of honey;
- 2 egg yolks;
- Vanilla essence;
Knead for about 10 minutes until the various ingredients are completely absorbed then:
- Add the remaining whole eggs and continue kneading for another 10 minutes;
- Add the butter to the mixture and knead for 25 minutes;
- When the dough is sufficiently homogeneous and elastic, place it on a floured surface and work it with your hands with energy and speed;
- Place the dough in the buttered pandoro mold;
- Cover with cling film and let it rise for 4 hours in the switched off oven, taking care to turn on the light to control the rising, the dough should rise to the edge of the mould.
Cooking times for homemade pandoro
For a homemade pandoro, cooking is at least as important as leavening so that it maintains an ideal consistency. The cooking time and temperature must not be too high to maintain the right softness and humidity of the dough:
- Preheat the oven to 150°;
- Cook the pandoro inside for 45 minutes in a static oven;
- Take the pandoro out of the oven by turning it upside down onto a grill, the oven one is fine too, but without removing it from the mould;
- After 30 minutes, remove the mold and let the pandoro cool to room temperature.
Your homemade pandoro is ready! All you have to do is decorate it with icing sugar or whatever you prefer. Since it is a pandoro without preservatives, you can preserve it for a few days with the help of transparent film, or freeze it and consume it later.
What to accompany homemade pandoro
Pandoro with its scent and unmistakable taste is good as it is, just with a little icing sugar, or for breakfast after heating it for a while in the oven.
However, if you want something tasty or want to try something new, there are many possibilities to give an extra edge to a good slice of pandoro, such as filling it with homemade hazelnut ice cream. Doing it is very simple but the result is guaranteed:
- Cut the pandoro into horizontal slices so that they resemble Christmas stars;
- Spread the ice cream starting from the base of the pandoro using a spatula knife;
- Place a slice of pandoro on the layer of ice cream, rotating it slightly;
- Repeat points 2 and 3 until you reach the last slice, now the pandoro slices should have formed a lovely spiral pattern.
Pandoro is a truly versatile dessert, excellent to enjoy alone or accompanied by something else. As you have seen, preparing it is not difficult and is certainly a healthier alternative to industrially produced ones. If you want to prepare lots of desserts or enjoy homemade ice cream you can visit our shop where you will find a vast selection of dessert and ice cream equipment.
