The Genoese Pandolce with Sourdough is a dessert that represents Genoese Christmas and must be strictly prepared with sourdough. Every family, even using the same ingredients, prepares it in their own way. I myself have consulted various books, and the only uncertainty I had was about the eggs. Some say they are not among the ingredients, but I used one. For the pandolce to turn out well, the sourdough, which needs to be refreshed three times, is important. If you decide to try this recipe, you need to dedicate a day just for the refreshments. This was my first Pandolce with sourdough, and the result was very satisfying, so I feel confident in giving you the recipe.
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 1 Day
- Portions: 2 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Liguria
- Seasonality: New Year's, Christmas
- Energy 407.81 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 65.91 (g) of which sugars 32.16 (g)
- Proteins 7.36 (g)
- Fat 14.76 (g) of which saturated 6.12 (g)of which unsaturated 7.74 (g)
- Fibers 2.23 (g)
- Sodium 150.25 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 4 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Ingredients for 2 Pandolci weighing 21 oz each to serve 10 people
- 3.9 oz sourdough (refreshed 3 times with 6.35 oz flour + 2.7 fl oz water)
- 10.6 oz all-purpose flour
- 3.17 oz sugar
- 1 egg (medium)
- 2.47 oz butter
- 3.4 fl oz water
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 0.07 oz fine salt
- 0.11 oz lemon zest (grated)
- 0.34 fl oz marsala
- 1.06 oz sugar
- 1.76 oz all-purpose flour
- 1.06 oz butter
- 7.05 oz raisins (soaked and dried)
- 2.82 oz pine nuts
- 1.41 oz candied citron
- 1.41 oz candied orange
- 0.35 oz wild fennel
Tools
- Kitchen Scale
- Bowl
- Pastry Board
- Stand Mixer
Steps
Make three refreshments at intervals of 4 hours starting the 1st refresh at 8 AM with 1.76 oz of S.D + 1.06 oz of flour + 0.34 fl oz of water. The 2nd refresh at 12 PM with 2.82 oz of S.D + 1.76 oz of flour + 0.68 fl oz of water. The 3rd refresh at 4 PM with 5.29 oz of S.D + 3.52 of flour + 1.76 of water. At 8 PM the S.D is ready. We need 3.9 oz for our dough.
Use the excess to make bread or breadsticks.
Place in the stand mixer with hook 3.9 oz of S.D with 3.4 fl oz of water, orange blossom aroma, and 5.29 oz of flour. Knead well, add the egg, sugar, remaining flour, and lemon zest. Work for 10 minutes then add the butter where we have mixed the salt. Add a little butter at a time. The dough should be elastic. Form a ball, place it in a bowl and let it rise next to the radiator the first few hours and then in the oven until the next morning.
Take the dough and deflate it. Put it in the stand mixer with the hook. Add the marsala, sugar, half the flour, and operate. Work well and add the remaining flour, continuing to work and repeatedly overturning the dough. In a bowl, mix all the seasonings, raisins, pine nuts, candied fruits, fennel, and add them to the dough. When they are combined, turn off and flip the dough onto the pastry board. Shape into a ball with the seam underneath and let rest for 30 minutes. Shape tightly 2 times at 30-minute intervals and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover the shapes with a bowl and let rest for 8 hours in the closed oven with the light on or near a radiator. Before baking, make a triangular incision on top.
Turn on the oven in static mode and bring it to 340°F. Cook for 1 hour covering with aluminum immediately after rising to prevent it from coloring too much. Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar for 10 minutes to let the moisture out.
Storage
The Genoese Pandolce with sourdough stays fresh for 6 days if kept well wrapped with paper at room temperature.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What’s the difference between high Genoese pandolce and low Genoese pandolce?
The high Genoese Pandolce is made with sourdough or fresh yeast, while the low Genoese pandolce is prepared with the classic baking powder sachet.
