Italian
Pandoro With Baker's Yeast
by Manu Food · 60K subscribers on YouTube
A step-by-step recipe for homemade Pandoro using baker's yeast, made with three dough phases: a pre-ferment prepared the night before, a second dough the next morning, and a final enriched dough. The result is a soft, fragrant Christmas cake.
- Difficulty
- medium
Ingredients
12 items- 530 gManitoba FlourUsed in three stages: 110 g pre-ferment, 220 g second dough, 200 g third dough
- 105 gWater55 g for pre-ferment, 50 g for second dough
- 13 gBrewer's Yeast8 g for pre-ferment, 5 g for second dough
- 105 gSugar5 g for pre-ferment, 100 g for third dough
- 2 pcsEgg YolkMedium eggs, for pre-ferment
- 3 pcsEgg2 whole medium eggs for second dough, 1 whole medium egg for third dough
- 25 gHoneyFor second dough
- 10 gCocoa ButterCocoa butter, melted and cooled to 26-28°C before adding to second dough
- 40 gButterSoft butter for second dough (40 g); additional soft butter for third dough (approximately 20-30 g, to taste)
- 10 gSaltFor third dough
- Essenza di Vaniglia(optional) — To taste; optional if using vanilla bean
- Scorzetta di Arancia Candita(optional) — Blended into a paste; to taste
Method
- Prepare the pre-ferment the night before: combine 110 g Manitoba flour, 55 g water, 2 medium egg yolks, 8 g fresh baker's yeast, and 5 g sugar in a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides.
- Turn the dough onto an oiled work surface (do not dust with flour). Shape into a smooth ball by folding. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, remove the pre-ferment from the fridge about 1 hour ahead to bring to room temperature. For the second dough, place the pre-ferment in the mixer bowl. Add 50 g water and begin mixing. Add 5 g crumbled yeast, then half of the 220 g Manitoba flour and half of the 2 whole eggs. Mix until compact.
- Switch to the dough hook. Add the remaining flour and the rest of the eggs, then 25 g honey. Mix until the dough is well-developed and elastic.
- Melt 10 g cocoa butter beforehand and let it cool to 26-28°C (if using a microwave or bain-marie). Add the cooled cocoa butter to the dough. Then add 40 g soft butter little by little. Mix until smooth and non-sticky.
- Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface, shape into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a turned-off oven at 30°C (create a proofing chamber by heating the oven to 30°C, then turn off and leave the door slightly open) until tripled in volume (about 4-6 hours or overnight).
- For the third dough, place the fully risen second dough in the mixer bowl. Add half of the 200 g Manitoba flour and start mixing slowly. Add half of the 100 g sugar and half of the 1 whole egg. Then add the remaining flour, remaining sugar, and remaining egg. Mix for 7-8 minutes until the dough wraps around the hook.
- Add 10 g salt and let absorb. Then add soft butter (quantità non specificata, about 20-30 g) little by little, increasing speed slightly. Let each addition absorb before adding more.
- Add vanilla essence (to taste) and the candied orange peel (blended into a paste, to taste). Mix until incorporated. Do not remove from the bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 50-60 minutes at 28-30°C in the proofing oven.
- After resting, turn the dough onto an unfloured work surface. Shape into a smooth ball (pirlatura).
- Butter a 1 kg pandoro mold thoroughly. Place the ball inside, seam side facing the wall. Let rise uncovered in the proofing oven at 28-30°C until it reaches the rim of the mold.
- Before baking, make small, shallow holes all over the top (using a toothpick) to prevent excessive doming. Prepare a small metal pan with boiling water to place in the oven for humidity.
- Preheat the oven. Bake the pandoro on the lowest rack. After baking, remove from oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then gently remove the mold. Place the mold back over the pandoro and let it cool completely that way to retain moisture and ensure a soft interior.
