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Pandoro Italian Christmas Cake

Pandoro, is a classic Italian Christmas Recipe, a simple and soft sweet bread that is almost cake like. Originated in Verona this delicious cake makes the perfect breakfast or even dessert idea throughout the Holiday Season.

pandoro cake on a black plate


 

To tell the truth I have always been more of a Pandoro person then a Panettone person. Yes I will never say no to a slice of Panettone especially if it is filled with dark chocolate chips. But there is nothing like a slice of a soft sweet bread for breakfast on Christmas morning!

How to make it

Start by making the biga:

In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast on top of the water, let it sit, stir it together, then add the flour and form a smooth dough. Place the dough back in the bowl and let it rise in a warm draft free area until doubled in bulk.

making the biga before and after rising in a white bowl

Making the first dough:

In the stand up mixer add the biga, flour, sugar and half the beaten egg. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed until almost combined then add the remaining beaten egg, knead on medium low speed. Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and knead and fold a few times.

making the 1st dough and kneading and folding the dough

Form the dough into a ball, place in a clean bowl, cover the bowl, place it in a not too warm draft free area and let it rise.

before and after the 1st dough rise

Making the 2nd dough:

In the stand up mixer add the first dough, the flour, sugar, honey, egg yolk, zest, vanilla and salt, start to knead on low medium speed (#2) for 1 minute, then add the egg one at a time, continue to knead, the dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl.

making the 2nd dough before and after kneading

Add the butter a little at a time, kneading continuously, when all the butter has been incorporated, continue to knead, the dough will be shiny and not overly sticky.

adding the butter to make the dough before kneading

Lightly butter a your hands and a flat surface, place the dough on top and fold 4-5 times.

making the dough and kneading

Form into a dough ball, place it seam side up in a buttered Pandoro Pan, cover and let rise in a draft free not too warm area.

placing the dough in a pandoro pan before and after rising

Once the dough has risen triple the volume, it should have risen over the top of the pan, bake. Let it sit 30 minutes then remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

 baked pandoro

What is a biga and why use it?

The biga, or also known as the pre-dough, is a prepared with water, flour and yeast. A biga is left to mature for a couple of hours or sometimes even overnight, it makes the dough slower to rise because of the repeated processing and rising times, it will also guarantee a fragrant, a more digestible and better preserved product.

Why does the dough need to be folded?

Folding the dough is done to give an airiness to the dough and it helps to develop the gluten in the dough. This is a very important part in making a successful Pandoro. 

Where did it originate

Pandoro is a sweet bread/cake of Veronese origin, considered the rival of the Panettone from Milan! It dates back to 1500s, which was the period of the Venetian Republic. However the first commercially produced Pandoro of Verona was on Tuesday October 14, 1884, invented by the pastry chef Domenico Melegatti.

He was inspired by an ancient Veronese tradition, which was a leavened cake covered with granulated sugar and almonds. In his recipe he eliminated the covering, added eggs and butter, which made a much softer dough and the Pandoro was invented.

The only thing missing was the shape, which was designed by a Veronese painter by the name of Angelo Dall’Oca Bianca he designed the pyramid mold with eight points that distinguishes the Pandoro.

a slice cut from the pandoro cake

What other flavouring can I add?

The traditional Pandoro is made with vanilla but if you want to add something extra to it I would recommend lemon zest or orange zest. Our favourite was definitely orange.

Where are the cup measurements?

For this recipe I honestly think it’s very important that everything is precise, therefore the recipe is written in grams. I think once you start baking with a kitchen scale, you won’t be reaching for those cups! Another good tip for making the best Pandoro is to use a strong all purpose flour with at least 12-13% protein.

Glazed pandoro cake on a black pan.

How to store it

Homemade Pandoro should be stored in a plastic wrap and placed in an airtight bag, it will keep for up to 6–7 days at room temperature. Freezing is not recommended.

More traditional Italian Christmas Recipes

So if you are looking for a traditional Italian recipe this Christmas I hope you give this Pandoro Italian Christmas Cake a try and let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!

pandoro cake on a black plate
pandoro cake on a black plate

Pandoro Italian Christmas Cake

Rosemary Molloy
Pandoro, is a classic Italian Christmas Recipe, a simple and soft sweet bread that is almost cake like. It makes the perfect breakfast or dessert.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 45 minutes
Rising Time 9 hours
Total Time 10 hours 45 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 1 cake
Calories 2876 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

BIGA

  • 34 grams lukewarm water (2½ tablespoons)
  • 4 grams active dry yeast (1⅓ teaspoons)
  • 50 grams all purpose flour (6 tablespoons)

FIRST DOUGH

  • Biga (from above)
  • 90 grams all purpose flour (½ cup + 3 tablespoons)
  • 20 grams granulated sugar (1¾ tablespoons)
  • 1 large egg (room temperature/beaten)

SECOND DOUGH

  • First Dough
  • 170 grams all purpose flour (1¼ cup + 1 tablespoon)
  • 90 grams granulated sugar (⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons)
  • 10 grams honey (½ tablespoon)
  • 140 grams butter (softened) (½ cup + 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
  • 1 pinch salt (if you use unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • zest 1 orange

Instructions
 

BIGGA

  • In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast on top of the water, let it sit for about 5 minutes, stir it together, then add the flour and form a smooth dough. Place the dough back in the bowl and let it rise in a not too warm draft free area for about 1-2 hours or doubled in bulk.

FIRST DOUGH

  • In the stand up mixer add the biga, flour, sugar and half the beaten egg. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed until almost combined about 1 minute, then add the remaining beaten egg, knead on medium low speed (#2) for 30 minutes. Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and knead and fold about 4 times.
    Form the dough into a ball, place in a clean bowl, cover the bowl, place it in a not too warm draft free area and let it rise 2½ – 3 hours, until doubled in bulk.

SECOND DOUGH

  • In the stand up mixer add the first dough, the flour, sugar, honey, egg yolk, zest, vanilla and salt, start to knead on low medium speed (#2) for 1 minute, then add the egg one at a time, then continue to knead for 30 minutes, the dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl. 
  • Butter a medium Pandoro Pan. (6×7½x7½ inches/ 15x19x19 cm) (500 grams size)
  • Add the butter a little at a time, kneading continuously, when all the butter has been incorporated, continue to knead for 30 minutes, the dough will be shiny and a little sticky but not overly. Lightly butter your hands and a flat surface, place the dough on top and fold 4-5 times, form into a dough ball, place in the prepared pan seam side up, cover and let rise in a draft free not too warm area for 4-5 hours or until tripled in bulk and the dough is about 1/2 inch over the top of the pan.
  • Pre-heat oven to 300F (150C).
  • Once the dough has risen tripled in volume, it should have risen over the top of the pan, bake for about 35-45 minutes or a toothpick comes out clean. If the top is browning too much after 25 minutes then cover with foil and continue baking. Let it sit 30 minutes in the pan then remove and place on a wire rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

The best temperature for this dough to rise is 68-72 F (20-22 C). You want a slow rise.

How to store the Pandoro

Homemade Pandoro should be stored in a plastic wrap and placed in an airtight bag, it will keep for up to 6–7 days at room temperature. Freezing is not recommended.

Nutrition

Calories: 2876kcal | Carbohydrates: 358g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 136g | Saturated Fat: 79g | Cholesterol: 1043mg | Sodium: 1269mg | Potassium: 577mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 120g | Vitamin A: 4554IU | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 17mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

65 Comments

    1. Hi Sandra, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. I use salted butter in Italy, because I can never find unsalted. If you use unsalted then add a bit more salt. I added that to the recipe. Take care. Merry Christmas!

  1. 5 stars
    Ciao! Il primo impasto puรฒ lievitare durante la notte in frigorifero, prima di preparare il secondo impasto? Grazie!

  2. Couple of questions:: I made this last year and it was good but . . . maybe a little more bread-y than sweet pastry. Is that what It’s supposed to be? I’d like to add more sugar but afraid of ruining the consistency. How much more would be ok? ALSO, could I make the recipe up to the point of putting into pan and then refrigerate to rise the next day?
    thanks in advance!

      1. Thanks!
        Do you think I could take the dough up to one step, refrigerate, and continue the next day?

      2. Hi Tamara, so you are saying for the first dough rise, in the fridge? Yes I think you could do that. Be sure to let the dough sit for about an hour to come to room temperature before continuing. Let me know how it goes. Take care!

    1. Hi Peggy, I got that pan on Amazon, search pandoro pan and they will come up. Mine is a 500 gram size pan. If not you could use a regular high sided 7 – 8 inch cake pan but it probably won’t be as high (it will be wider) and of course won’t look like a star. I hope that helps. Take care.

    1. Hi Michal, the dough could have been overproofed when it deflates while baking, you can test the dough by lightly flouring your finger, then gently poke the dough’s surface about 1 inch down, Underproofed the dough springs back quickly and feels dense. Properly proofed, the dough springs back slowly and leaves a small indent. Overproofed, the dough doesn’t spring back at all and holds a deep indent. Hope this helps. Take care.

  3. I can’t as yet give a rating…I just got a Pandoro for my birthday, and have yet to make a cake. We were given a cake this last christmas and it was so good. I found a pan on Amazon and purchased it. Its night time right now, but will print the recipe in the morning. I am retired, and with no kids other than helping with my mother in laws care, and have the time to do some baking…

  4. if i click on the 3X option on the recipe, what tin size should i use? it cant be a 500 tin for all the sizes of recipe? (1X, 2X and 3X?). My tin is about 16x20x20cm. just trying to work out the correct size option of the recipe to do,
    thankyou, from Julia

    1. Hi Julia, the recipe card does not adjust for the pan size. I would suggest a 750g size for a doubling the recipe and a 1 kilo size for tripling the recipe. Hope that helps. Take care!

  5. Hi
    I am looking forward to taste this ๐Ÿคฉ
    Just a quick question i think my butter was to soft maybe a bit melted. So it is a bit more sticky. Can i add a bit more flower or will this affect the texture and flavor?

    Thanks in advance.

    P.s It Looks great

  6. 5 stars
    I used bread flour, and I didnโ€™t have to knead it for 30 minutes. I also find it similar to a brioche.
    It is quite delicious, but I definitely found that I was able to do a few shortcuts. I am a professional, so I know what I can and canโ€™t do.
    It was a lovely recipe. The flavor was good, and very similar to the Pandoro I have had from my friends.
    It is time consuming, but worth it. Bread flour saves Sooo much time.

5 from 31 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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