Colomba Pasquale

We love traditions… And Easter bring some lovely traditions for us. One of them being Colomba Pasquale. Along with hot cross buns we can’t get enough.

If you are not familiar with a colomba, this is a sweet “bread” that we enjoy over Easter time. It directly translates to Easter dove. This sweet bread is very popular over Easter time and tastes great with a good cup of coffee. It is a lengthy process making this sweet bread, but it really pays off. It’s so much nicer making your own than buying a store bought one.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Colomba Pasquale

Ingredients

Biga (Overnight Starter)
1 cup White cake flour
½ cup cool water
⅛ teaspoon instant yeast

Dough
2 ¼ cups White cake flour
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
⅓ cup white sugar
4 tablespoons butter, Room temperature
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk. Reserve the white for the topping
1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
½ teaspoon Orange Essence
Grated peel of 1 orange
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped fine

Topping
1 large egg white (reserved from the dough)
3 tablespoons almond flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
3 – 4 tablespoons sliced almonds
5-6 tablespoons caster sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

The night before you want to make the Colomba Pasquale, make the Biga. Cover the bowl and leave it overnight at room temperature. This needs to stand for at least 16 hours.

The Next day

Mix the biga into the remainder of the dough ingredients except the cranberries and the orange peel rind. If you are using an electric mixer use your dough hook and knead the dough for 10 minutes until the dough is silky, elastic and smooth.
If you are kneading by hand. Lightly flour your tabletop and keep kneading the dough until soft, silky and elastic.

Once the dough has been knead, mix in the cranberries and the orange rind. Knead until it is mixed throughout.

First rise

Next, place the dough in a bowl and cover with cling wrap. Remember to slightly grease the cling wrap to keep the dough from sticking to it. Allow the dough to rest for 3 hours. The dough should double in size an appears very puffy.

Shaping & second rise

Now, divide the dough into two. One piece slightly bigger than the other. Shape the larger of the two pieces into a log tapering both ends. Place on a well greased baking tray. Press a crease in the center of the log using your hand. Now shape the smaller dough into a log, this will form the wings. Place this into the crease. Shape the wings. Cover the “dove” with greased cling wrap and allow to rise for 2 – 3 hours.

Glazing the Colomba Pasquale

Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 180˚C.
When the dough has finished rising, make the topping by mixing the egg white, almond flour and sugar together. Paint the topping carefully over the dough. Sprinkle the almond flakes and then the caster sugar over the painted Colomba Pasquale. Place in the oven and bake for +/- 20 min or until golden brown.

Once baked, removed from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Enjoy and Happy Easter!!