Christmas in Italy means Panettone or Pandoro. There’s a huge rivalry between the supporters of these two traditional sweets and very often people who like one will tell you they dislike the other.
As a child, I was definitely on the Pandoro’s team. Even though I have always liked sultanas (I used to eat them straight out of the jar where my mum kept them!), I was not that keen on the candied fruits that abound in Panettone. I guess Pandoro has a more delicate taste that children usually like more.
If you also want to give Panettone a try, here is my recipe!
Nowadays, I gladly eat both, as my dislike for candied fruits has vanished… hahaha But Pandoro will always have a special place in my heart.
Whenever I smell vanilla scented powder sugar, I get transported back in time (and space) and I see myself in my parents’ kitchen reaching for the box of Pandoro, ready to add the icing sugar on it and dig in! Yummmm! That will always be the “smell of Christmas” to me.
Pandoro literally means “Golden Bread” and it is a specialty from the city of Verona in Veneto.
I find Pandoro here in Australia… it comes straight from Italy. However, as I like to attempt making home-made versions of all my favourite foods, here goes my home-made Pandoro.
The recipe is not hard, but it is time-consuming and requires a digital scale. There are 2 versions of Pandoro recipes: an easy one which yields a cakey result and this one which gives you a more traditional Pandoro that is flaky, airy and decadent. This version requires some layering and a technique very similar to the one used for making puff pastry. The result is so good that you will forget all about the hard work as soon as you give it a bite!
So, tell me, how will you be spending Christmas and what is your “Christmas smell”? Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!
Enjoy and let me know how you like it by leaving a comment in the comment section below.
You can find Pandoro tins online: Pandoro Cake Pan – 10 Inch x 4.5 Inch Deep
Pandoro
Not available A tutorial on how to make Pandoro - a traditional Italian Christmas cake.
Ingredients
Beurrage Mixture
- 220 gms – 7 2/3 oz. butter
- 15 gms – ½ oz. honey
- 1 vanilla pod scraped
- 4 white chocolate squares melted
Poolish
- 15 gms – ½ oz. fresh brewer’s yeast
- 60 gms – 2 oz. water
- 50 gms – 1 2/3 oz. flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 egg yolk
First Dough
- Poolish
- 3 gms – 0.1 oz.fresh brewer’s yeast
- 2 tsp water
- 25 gms – 1 oz. sugar
- 200 gms – 7 oz. flour
- 1 egg
- 35 gms – 1 ¼ oz. beurrage mixture
Second Dough
- First dough
- 2 eggs
- 100 gms – 3 ½ oz. sugar
- 200 gms – 7 oz. flour
- 1 tsp salt
Decoration
- Vanilla flavoured icing sugar
Instructions
Beurrage Mixture
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Put the cold butter between two sheets of baking paper and gently hit it with the rolling pin to make it more elastic.
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With a fork, mix the butter with the vanilla, honey and melted white chocolate (make sure the chocolate is not hot or it will melt the butter).
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Remove 35 gms – 1 ¼ oz. of this mixture and keep it in a bowl in the fridge.
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Put the remaining mixture between two sheets of baking paper and gently shape it into a ½ cm thick rectangle. Put it in the fridge for 1 hour.
Poolish
First Dough
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Put all the ingredients, apart from the beurrage mixture, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Knead well until the mixture is smooth and elastic, then add the 35 gms – 1 ¼ oz. of beurrage mixture that you had reserved in a bowl. Keep kneading, slowly, until the butter gets absorbed.
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Second Dough
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Put all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Knead well until the mixture is smooth and elastic. You will know it is ready when it stretches around the paddle attachment, like a mozzarella string stretching out of a pizza! It is going to take a while, so be patient and don’t add any flour.
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Layering
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Roll the dough into a 1 cm thick rectangle. Give the dough a simple 3 fold turn i.e. fold 1/3 on top of the central 1/3 and then the other 1/3 on top of it. Cover the dough with cling wrap and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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Roll the dough in a long rectangular shape. Position the beurrage so that it covers 2/3 of the dough as shown. Give the dough a simple 3 fold turn i.e. fold the 1/3 without butter on top of the central 1/3 and then the other 1/3 on top of it.
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Press it down with your hands to seal the middle.
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Turn the dough so that the closed sides of the dough are on the left and right with the join vertical. Roll until you get a 1.25 cm – ½ inch thick rectangle. Make sure to roll mostly upwards and downwards (and only a little bit sidewards).
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Give the dough a simple 3 fold turn i.e. fold 1/3 on top of the central 1/3 and then the other 1/3 on top of it. Cover the dough with baking paper and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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Shaping and Baking
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Then fold it onto itself and form a ball.
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Put it into a Pandoro tin (greased and dusted with flour), with the smoother side at the bottom (as that will be the top of the Pandoro).
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Let it proof, loosely covered, for about 5 hours or at least until the dough reaches the border of the tin.
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Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160°C – 320°F for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 150°C – 300°F and use a pot holder to keep the oven slightly ajar. Bake for another 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
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Keep the Pandoro in the tin for at least 6 hours before unmoulding, to avoid the risk of deflating. I left it overnight.
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Generously sprinkle with vanilla flavoured icing sugar before serving.
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I want to try this one too!! I make candied chestnuts for my panettone but that’s all I put in it. With my panettone I stick wooden skewers in it and turn it upside down. You don’t have to do that for the Pandoro right? I will let you know what happens. ..lol my Christmas smells are of baking breads and sweet spices! ! Merry Christmas to you and your family! !
I’m more of a Panettone guy, if I have to choose, but I will make an exception for your Pandoro! Both cakes are considered challenging to make – I don’t know any Italians who actually make them from scratch, so I admire you even more. In my family we used to go for some known quality brands, or occasionally we would splurge for an artisan-made panettone or pandoro, bought in a local Pasticceria. Merry Xmas!
I’ve only ever had panettone but I’d love to have a go at making pandoro. You are so clever!
I made my first ever pandoro yesterday and I must say it was superb! Your recipe was more detailed than others on the internet and I am a fairly experienced home baker but still this was so delicious. Thank you very much Manu
I purchase a Pandora each Christmas here in Australia with lemon curd in it, at which stage would I be able to add it to the recipe!
Hi! I assume you buy the store bought ones filled with lemon curd cream? If you make it at home you won’t be able to add it do the dough. We usually make the Pandoro and then we serve it with lemon curd (or mascarpone cream, chantilly etc.). 🙂
srry i couldnt find the recipe for the pandoro
Please advise what the yield is. for example is the loaf 500 grams?
Could you also tell me the size of the pan you used for this recipe?
I await your response as I’m looking forward to try and make this Pandoro.
Thank you,
Elio Moro
Hi Elio
The tin is about 25 cm high (10 inches) and it makes a 1 kg pandoro.
I hope you like it!
Manu
Hello, can you please tell me what temperature should the water added to poolish and 1st dough be?
Hi Kristine. Room temperature or lukewarm, depending on how cold it is where you live. Hope it helps. Cheers.
This Pandoro is incredible, your recipe was clear and it helped me a lot. Making a pandoro was one my wishes
When you say 4 white chocolate squares, how many grams or ounces is that? I hope you reply soon because I am in a hurry thanks
Hi Maria. Sorry, I just saw this! 4 squares is approximately 4 oz.
Hi Manu, I came across your website while searching for Pandoro recipe. Your Pandoro looks so delicious and tempting. I like to bake one but I can’t find fresh brewer’s yeast. Can I replace with instant yeast or active dry yeast?
I’ve made the pandoro in this recipe several times with active dry yeast, at half the amount listed (the dry stuff is more concentrated). Came out fine.
Perfect answer! Thank you, Andrew! Sorry I am late!!
I have this same question! Hoping for a reply from Manu.
If you were to freeze the dough before baking it, at what stage can you freeze? Just before you proof it in the cake tin? And then once frozen, what’s the best way to defrost?
Is it possible to also over proof at any stage?
Hi Angelica. I have never frozen Pandoro dough, so I am not 100% sure that it would work out. I have successfully frozen pizza/bread dough following these instructions: https://www.nigella.com/ask/freezing-pizza-and-other-dough But I am not sure pandoro dough would react in the same way because it also has butter in it. If you want to try it, I would try to freeze the 1st dough only – not after that. Do let me know if it works out!! 🙂
How long does it last once baked?? We have a pandoro christmas morning and this year i want to make my own, can i make it two days before and it still be ok?
Hi Fiona! It shouldn’t be a problem at all. Just wrap it in a cello bag (like a store-bought pandoro) and keep it in a dry place and you should be fine. 🙂
Hi Manu,
I’m so excited to try this recipe this weekend! Your recipe looks really clear, I’m even going to wing it with a gluten free version (though I’m sure it won’t work).
I did wonder what type of butter (salted or unsalted), flour or sugar (caster?) you use or does it not affect the panettone?
HI Manu, this looks beautiful! I’m looking forward to trying it this weekend. One question: I’m not a fan of white chocolate, I find it way too sweet. Can I substitute for dark chocolate or can I leave white chocolate out completely? Any suggestions for similar substitutions?
Thank you,
Monica
I made this recipe yesterday and it really exceeded my expectations. It was a bit tricky, especially during the lamination, but it turned out very beautifully. I did, in fairness, drastically shrink the final rise to about 90 minutes by proofing in the oven with the light on. It turned out beautifully. Completely changed my family’s opinion on what pandoro could be!