Pandoro
This Italian sweet bread translates as 'golden bread' and it gets its colour from egg yolks, so use the freshest and best-quality eggs available.
For this recipe you will need 500g/1lb 2oz pandoro mould and a freestanding mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Ingredients
- 500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
- 5g salt
- 125²µ/4½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 10g fast-action yeast
- 1 orange, finely grated zest only
- 1 lemon, finely grated zest only
- 150g/5½oz softened butter, plus extra for greasing
- 2 medium free-range eggs (preferably Burford Brown or other dark yolked varieties)
- 2 free-range egg yolks (preferably Burford Brown or other dark yolked varieties)
- 2 tsp vanilla paste
- 100ml/3½fl oz milk, warmed
- icing sugar, for dusting
Method
Place the flour in the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the salt and caster sugar to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other side. Add the orange and lemon zest, softened butter, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and milk. Start on a slow speed and mix together to form a wet sticky dough.
Increase the speed on the mixer and mix for 10 minutes. The dough should now be a thicker consistency and adhere to the dough hook. If the dough is dropping from the dough hook mix for a further 5 minutes, or until the correct consistency is achieved.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour, tip out the dough and gently knead to form a ball. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave to prove until doubled in size. This can take 4 hours, but for best results leave overnight.
Grease a 500g/1lb 2oz pandoro mould with butter. Tip the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and fold in on its self a few times to knock out the air. Shape into a ball and place in the prepared tin, gently pressing into the corners of the tin. Cover and leave to rise until it comes to the top of the tin, this will take 1½-2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Uncover the pandora and bake for 35–40 minutes. To test to see the pandoro is cooked through insert a skewer into the middle, if it comes out clean it is cooked. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out and cool on a wire rack
Before serving, trim the base so it will sit flat on a serving plate. Slice into thick horizontal slices and rotate the slices. Dust heavily with icing sugar and serve.
