Colomba Pasquale
This is a traditional Easter dessert for most Italian families. “Colomba” means dove in Italian. A symbol of hope and purity for Easter. This sweet bread is similar in texture to a panettone which is served at Christmas time. The almond topping makes this sweet treat really special and delicious! My recipe is an approachable version for the home baker. Artisanal Colomba’s are made with sourdough starter known as lievito madre in Italian. This is made with dry yeast and can be made in one day.
Colomba Pasquale
A sweet Easter treat on most Italian holiday tables!
Biga
- 100 g Bread Flour
- 50 g Water
- 1/8 tsp Active Dry Yeast
Dough
- 400 g Bread Flour (3 cups (approximately))
- 80 g Sugar (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp)
- 10 g Salt (1 1/4 tsp)
- 3 Large Eggs
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
- 2 Egg whites (reserved)
- 120 g Warm Milk (1/2 cup))
- 7 g Active Dry Yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
- 2 tbsp Orange Paste (See recipe for making this below )
- 1 Lemon Zested
- 1 tsp Fiori di Sicilia Extract
- 85 g Unsalted Butter, room temp (6 tbsp)
Topping
- 1/2 cup Roasted Unsalted Almonds, ground
- 2 Large Egg Whites
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- Whole Roasted Almonds
- Pearl Sugar
Orange Paste
- 1 Whole Orange
- 80g Sugar
- 2 tbsp Water
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the Biga the night before:
Mix 100g Bread Flour, 50g Water, 1/8 tsp Active Dry Yeast. Mix well, cover and let it sit on the kitchen counter overnight.
Also the day before:
Make the Pasta Arancia (orange paste). Boil an orange for 6 mins. Remove from the water and cut it into 1 inch chunks. Add that to a bowl and add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Mix well until the sugar dissolves. Add to a pot with 2 tbsp of water. Cook on medium heat until it starts to look a bit syrupy, about 5 mins. Place in a sealed container and into the fridge.
Next Day:
To the bowl of a stand mixer, add bread flour, sugar, salt, eggs and egg yolks, orange paste, lemon zest, and Fiori di Sicilia extract along with the biga. With the dough hook attachment, knead the dough until it comes together and once it comes together, knead it for another three minutes.
With the stand mixer on medium speed, add 1 tablespoon of butter at a time and allow each tablespoon to be completely absorbed by the dough before adding the next. Once all the butter has been incorporated mix the dough for about five minutes. If you can pull on the dough between your fingers and make a window pane without it breaking, then it’s ready. Don’t pull too hard! But If it tears immediately then knead it for another few mins in the standmixer.
Form a dough ball and place into the bowl and cover. Place it in a warm area to rise for two hours, until it doubles in size. I usually use my oven with the light on.
Once doubled in size, punch it down and cut the dough into two equal pieces. Leave one piece alone and cut the other piece into two equal pieces.
Place the long piece in the center of the mold and form the two other pieces into an oval shaped dough ball and add them to either side for the wings. Cover and let rise until it reaches the rim of the molds, which should take about 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven at 350°F.
Topping
Add two egg whites to a bowl and whisk vigorously until foamy. To that add the ground almonds and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Mix well to combine. Spoon the topping over the risen dough and spread it out evenly. Top with whole almonds and pearl sugar as much desired.
Bake a 350° for 45 to 50 minutes. At 35 minutes check to make sure the top is not browning too much, if so cover it with the aluminum foil for the remaining time. The center of the bread should reach 200°F when done.
Let it cool on a wire rack before cutting.
Enjoy and Buona Pasqua!
