If you liked the Mataloc.... You will LOVE the ....PANDORO!!!

My all time favourite..Pandoro!!! Merry Xmas….

This has to be my favourite of favourites if that makes sense.

Of course, I was very greedy and made this mid year when I was on my xmas bread mid winter binge…

But fear not, I will be making again next week, i just wanted to share now:)

Golden and gorgeous!!

ha ha many, many things!! BUT nothing is as luscious as the PANDORO…..

From the Veneto region, it is the regions equivalent of the Panattone.

I had some mini ones from the supermarket in Lucca and Venice but I knew they would not be like a homemade one.

The Italian supermarkets, sell huge boxes which have Pandoro in them but I still think, can’t beat homemade……

So without further ado………………….

What are we aiming for?????

Pandoro……….

I did not have a Pandoro tin though, so I used a brioche mould and a panettone mould.

I think they looked great but it was the crumb and crust that blew me away!!

See this is a deceptive bread, as it looks pretty plain………..

Ahhhh but there in lies the beauty of it.

Pandoro Kiwi style

Be warned, this does take a while, it’s an all day process.

Not an all day standing round but you start in the morning, and it will be ready at night…

Lets get yeasty beasty!!

I am VERY EXCITED about this one!!

Wait till you taste it!!

What do you need?

Patience, my friends, patience……………….

This is done in 3 stages.

Stage 1 : Pre-ferment

5 teaspoons of dried yeast

1/2 cup of warm water

1 large egg

2 tbsp sugar

3/4 cup of Strong bread flour.

pre ferment Pandoro

Mix yeast into warm water along with sugar and mix until dissolved.

Sit until creamy and frothy, about 10 minutes.

Add in egg and flour and mix till smooth.

Cover tightly with gladwrap and sit for 30 minutes .

First dough stage

Stage 2: 1st Dough stage:

3 cups of strong bakers flour

3 cups of cake flour

1 tsp dried yeast

1 tbsp warm water

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

60g butter

First stage dough after rising

Mix the yeast into the warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes until creamy.

Mix flours together and put aside 2 and 1/2 cups of the flour for this dough.

Add yeast, flour, sugar and eggs into the pre ferment, combining well.

Add the butter and make sure this is blended in well.

Cover with gladwrap again and allow to rise for 45-60 minutes.

2nd dough, ready to rise

Stage 3: Second dough:

4 large eggs

2 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

flour left from prior (3 and 1/2 cups)

1 tsp salt

2 tsps Vanilla

1 tbsp lemon zest

1/2 cup od candied citron

300g butter at RT

extra half cup flour

After 2nd rise

Add the eggs, yolks, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and flour to the first dough and mix well.

Gradually add the butter, 25g at a time, blending well.

Toss the candied citron in flour and put in the dough, combine well.

Change to the dough hook and mix for 8 minutes on low-speed, gradually adding in extra flour in needed.

Dough, will be soft, very buttery and sticky.

Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and wrap with a towel.

Allow to rise until doubled, usually about 2-4 hours, dependant on the temperature.

After 2nd rising and shaping…

Turn out dough on lightly floured area with your hands well floured.

Lightly shape dough into a ball and place in moulds.

NB: Moulds must be very very well oiled!!

Dough should take up 2/3rds of mould.

Place moulds on a tray and cover with a tea towel and rise until almost at the top of the mould, usually 2-4 hours again.

30 minutes before this is ready, preheat oven to 200 celsius.

Ready for baking…

Place pandoro in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Turn down the heat to 170 celsius and bake for a further 20-25 minutes.

Allow to cool and then remove carefully from moulds.

Fabulousness…………

Pandoro in the panettone mould:)

When this is cool, slice a wedge, and ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!!

Absolutely divine!!

It is so light, yet rich but not overly…………

It is less buttery in taste than brioche but tastier………..

It is just heavenly!!

I like this better than Panettone

I can only dream of how gorgeous it would be at Xmas with rum flavoured mascarpone in between slices, like a xmas tree!!

LOVE IT!!!

Well worth the effort involved and it makes 3 good sized pandoro.

Look at the crumb!!

Gorgeousness, in all its glory!!

Can you handle it???

Recipe adapted from the wonderful Carol Field’s ” Italian Baker”, 2 Ed, 2011.