The Easter pizza from L’Aquila is another typical recipe of the Easter period, specifically from the area of L’Aquila in Abruzzo, and I assure you that among all the Easter recipes I have on the blog, this one beats them all for softness and taste.
They are so soft that they keep well for a few days if stored in a plastic bag, but first wrapped in parchment paper or paper towels to avoid moisture, or in paper bags.
Like all leavened products, it will take a few hours to achieve the final result, but for me, who is in love with leavened products, it is always a satisfaction!
If you decide to prepare them for Easter day, you will surely receive compliments because they are truly exceptional, making you look good at the table.
If you make this or any of my other recipes on my blog, feel free to send me your photos and I will post them on my Facebook page in your name.
About 1590 Kcal per large pizza
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 large pizzas or 5 medium
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter
Ingredients for making Easter Pizza from L’Aquila
- 1 cup water
- 8.5 oz all-purpose flour
- 0.18 oz fresh yeast
- starter dough
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 6.7 oz sugar
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- grated zest of 1 orange
- 1/3 cup sunflower oil (or corn)
- 1 tbsp rum
- 1 tsp vanilla (liquid)
- 0.18 oz fresh yeast
- 7.6 oz potatoes (raw weight without skin)
- 2.1 oz butter (or soft margarine)
- 27.5 oz all-purpose flour
- sprinkles (colored sugar)
- 3.5 oz water
- 5.3 oz sugar
Preparation of Easter Pizza from L’Aquila
The dough can be made either by hand or with a mixer, obviously by hand it will take a lot of time and elbow grease.
First, prepare the starter dough by placing the water and yeast in a bowl, dissolving them, and then adding the flour, mixing well.
The result will be a thick batter, but that’s how it should be!
Let it rise until it doubles, about 2-3 hours.
In the meantime, peel, wash the potatoes, cut them into chunks, and boil them in a saucepan with water.
Subsequently, in the mixer place the risen starter dough, eggs, sugar, cold or room temperature milk, crumble the fresh yeast, mash the boiled potatoes with a potato masher, add them to the other ingredients, and knead.
Next, add the grated zest of one lemon and one orange, vegetable oil, softened butter or margarine, rum, liquid vanilla, and half of the flour.
Knead for a few minutes, then add the remaining flour and knead for at least another 15-20 minutes.
Once finished kneading, transfer everything to a large bowl, dusting the base with flour, then place the dough in and also dust the surface of the dough.
With your hands, directly in the bowl, shape the dough into a ball, then flatten it and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Let it rise until doubled, which will take 3 to 6 hours, depending on whether you use less yeast or more than what I have written.
Once risen, pour the dough onto a floured surface, divide it into 4 pieces for large pizzas or 5 if you want smaller pizzas, as I made them different sizes because I had to give them away.
Once the dough is divided, form loaves with each piece and place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, flatten them a bit, and let them rise until doubled.
Once risen, bake in an oven at 340°F for 35-45 minutes, the cooking time will vary based on the size of the pizzas.
While the pizzas are baking, prepare the syrup to use after baking by placing 3.5 oz of water and 5.3 oz of sugar in a saucepan, dissolve everything over heat, and once it boils, let it go for another two minutes, then turn off the heat.
As soon as you take the first Easter pizza out of the oven, brush it with the sugar syrup and then sprinkle it with colored sugar sprinkles.
Do the same with all the pizzas, let them cool, and enjoy.
