The Neapolitan Casatiello is a typical Neapolitan Easter recipe, dating back to at least the 1600s.
In the Casatiello, the eggs are placed whole, raw, and with their shells, and cooked along with the loaf.
Of course, the eggs must be washed well before placing them on the Casatiello.
The eggs are partially protruding and clearly visible on the Casatiello, often covered by a thin cross of dough.
In the recipe I made, I respected the tradition of placing the eggs so that they are visible, and I made it by spreading the leavened dough and adding the cold cuts and cheeses, then rolling it all up with the dough.
There’s another version, where the cold cuts and cheeses are mixed into the dough and everything is left to rise together.
Anyway, it’s a fantastic recipe and it turned out really good, I recommend you try it.
I assisted myself with my trusty Panasonic Croustina bread maker, but you can make the dough by hand or with a stand mixer.
Ever since I started offering this recipe, my son often asks for it, even when it’s not Easter.
For the recipe, I used Pecorino Romano from the Pinna formaggi company, a company rich in history and their products are guaranteed.
If you make this or any of my other recipes on my blog, feel free to send me your photos, and I’ll post them on my FB page in your name.
Approx. 674 Kcal per person
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 8 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter, All seasons
Ingredients for making Neapolitan Casatiello
- 0.5 oz Fresh Yeast
- 1.7 cups Warm water
- 3.5 oz Lard
- 5.75 cups Manitoba flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 pinch Pepper
- 16 oz Mixed cold cuts (salami, pancetta, prosciutto, cured sausage, cheese, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon Grated Pecorino
- 2 tablespoons Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 4 Eggs
Tools
- 1 Bundt Pan Bundt Pan
Preparation of Neapolitan Casatiello
Take the bread maker basket, insert the kneading blade, first add the dry ingredients, then the liquid ones, place the basket in the bread maker, start the dough program, in my machine it’s program 17 and lasts 45 minutes.
Once done, transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover, letting it rise for about 2 hours.
Once risen, transfer the dough to a work surface, roll out a rectangular sheet…..
….sprinkle over the cold cuts for the filling cut into cubes, and dust with Pecorino and Parmigiano.
Roll the sheet onto itself to form a sausage shape.
Cut off the ends, which will likely be a part where the filling hasn’t reached, and use this dough to make strips over the eggs.
Transfer the sausage roll to a non-stick pan (for safety, I greased and floured it) with a diameter of 10-11 inches.
Take the 4 previously washed eggs and place them on the Casatiello at the 4 ends, with the leftover dough create 8 equal strips and place them crosswise over the eggs.
Let it rise covered for at least 2 hours in a warm place.
After the rising time, bake in a preheated oven at 392°F and cook for about 1 hour.
Let it cool for at least 1 hour before serving.
