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Whole Pandoro dusted with icing sugar, placed on a festive plate decorated with ribbons and tinsel.

Pandoro Recipe

Celebrate the holidays with soft, golden Pandoro, a buttery sweet bread that fills the room with vanilla and warmth. Slice, dust with icing sugar, and enjoy a simple Christmas tradition at home.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 13 hours
Author: Recipe adapted from Menta e Cioccolato

Ingredients

Beurrage Mixture

  • 220 g – 7⅔ oz butter
  • 15 g – ½ oz honey
  • 1 vanilla pod – scraped
  • 4 white chocolate squares – melted

Poolish

  • 15 g – ½ oz fresh brewer’s yeast
  • 60 g – 2 oz water
  • 50 g – 1⅔ oz flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 egg yolk

First Dough

  • Poolish
  • 3 g – 0.1 oz fresh brewer’s yeast
  • 2 tsp water
  • 25 g – 1 oz sugar
  • 200 g – 7 oz flour
  • 1 egg
  • 35 g – 1¼ oz beurrage mixture

Second Dough

  • First dough
  • 2 eggs
  • 100 g – 3½ oz sugar
  • 200 g – 7 oz flour
  • 1 tsp salt

Decoration

  • Vanilla-flavoured icing sugar

Instructions

Beurrage Mixture

  1. Place the cold butter between two sheets of baking paper and gently tap it with a rolling pin to make it more pliable.
  2. Using 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).
  3. Remove 35 g – 1¼ oz of the mixture and place it in a small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
  4. Place the remaining mixture between two sheets of baking paper and gently shape it into a ½ cm thick rectangle. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Poolish

  1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. The mixture should be quite liquid. Set aside to proof for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

First Dough

  1. Add all the ingredients, except the reserved beurrage mixture, to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Knead until smooth and elastic, then add the 35 g – 1¼ oz of beurrage mixture. Continue kneading slowly until the butter is fully absorbed.
  2. Shape the dough into a ball and set aside to proof for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Second Dough

  1. Place all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Knead until the mixture becomes smooth and elastic. The dough is ready when it stretches around the paddle attachment, forming long strands like melted mozzarella. Be patient, as it will take time, and no extra flour is needed.

  2. Shape the dough into a ball and set aside to proof for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Layering

  1. Roll the dough into a 1 cm thick rectangle. Fold ⅓ of the dough over the centre, then fold the remaining ⅓ on top to create a simple 3-fold turn. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Roll the dough into a long rectangle. Place the beurrage to cover ⅔ of the dough. Fold the unbuttered ⅓ over the centre, then fold the remaining ⅓ on top to make another simple 3-fold turn.

  3. Press the dough down with your hands to seal the middle.

  4. Turn the dough so the closed edges are on the left and right, with the join running vertically. Roll into a 1.25 cm – ½ inch thick rectangle, mainly rolling up and down, with minimal side movement.
  5. Repeat another simple 3-fold turn, folding ⅓ over the centre and the last ⅓ on top. Cover with baking paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  6. Give the dough one more 3-fold turn and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Shaping and Baking

  1. Give the dough a final 3-fold turn.
  2. Fold the dough onto itself and shape it into a smooth ball.
  3. Place it into a greased and floured Pandoro tin, with the smoother side facing down (this will become the top after baking).
  4. Cover loosely and proof for about 5 hours, or until the dough reaches the edge of the tin.
  5. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C – 320°F for 30 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 150°C – 300°F, keeping the oven door slightly ajar with a pot holder. Continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  6. Leave the Pandoro in the tin for at least 6 hours before removing, to prevent it from collapsing. Leaving it overnight works best.
  7. Dust generously with vanilla-flavoured icing sugar before serving.