Today we bring to the table the Easter pizza from Teramo. It’s a typical Abruzzese dessert of the Easter tradition. An ancient cake with a delicate taste and intoxicating aroma!
It’s a leavened cake filled with candied fruits, very soft and delicious! It could be defined as the Easter panettone. The ingredients are simple and easily available. So even though it’s an Easter dessert, it’s great all year round.
The preparation is long but not difficult. Just let the cake rise in the warm! It stays soft for days, just store it in food bags.
It can also be frozen and enjoyed slice by slice. Those who don’t like candied fruits can fill the Easter pizza with chocolate chips. The recipe I’m sharing with you is a family one, and I thank Bice for this gift.
Let’s look at the ingredients and the method with step-by-step photos.
At the end of the article, you’ll find other useful tips. There’s also a little gift for you ❤️
Here are some of my favorite regional recipes that I absolutely recommend you try.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 10 Hours
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 1 large pizza or two medium-sized
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter
Ingredients
- 21.2 oz all-purpose flour (No Manitoba)
- 5.3 oz sugar
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 1.3 cups milk (whole or partially skimmed)
- 3.5 oz vegetable oil (or olive oil if mild)
- 1 cube fresh brewer's yeast (i.e., 0.88 oz, or 1 packet of dry yeast 0.25 oz)
- 1.8 oz candied cherries (red or green or both)
- 1.8 oz candied citron (can be replaced with more candied cherries)
- 1 lemon zest (to be grated)
Tools
- Bowls
- Mixer
- Ladles
- Spatula
- Mold paper
- Grater
- Parchment paper
The above quantities are for one large Easter pizza (1 kg) or two medium-sized ones.
Double ALL the ingredients to make more pizzas.
Both the first and second rising take about 4/5 hours each.
I recommend planning your time accordingly!
I started the first dough at 9:50 AM. At 10:20, I set it to rise.
I took it back at 2:30 PM for the filling and set it to rise again at 3:15 PM (I divided the dough in half to make two!).
At 8:30 PM, I baked the Easter pizzas in the oven for about an hour. Therefore, it takes a total of about 11/12 hours.
As for the filling, in Teramo, we use candied fruits. The red and green cherries are the most used. Small pieces of candied citron are also fine.
Traditionally, anise is used for flavoring. No one at home likes it, so I didn’t add it!
Let’s start! If using fresh brewer’s yeast, dissolve it in LUKEWARM milk.
ATTENTION to the temperature of the milk; if too high, the yeast dies, and the pizza will never rise!
In case of dry yeast, READ the instructions on the package carefully.
There are two types of dry yeast, one should be mixed with the flour.
The other should be dissolved in the liquids (like fresh yeast). It depends on the manufacturers.
I chose the dry one that is mixed with the flour to save time!
In a bowl, beat with electric whisks whole eggs and sugar for at least 10-15 minutes.
Choose a very large container to avoid the mixture overflowing during rising.
Add the vegetable oil (or olive oil if it’s mild) and blend again.
Pour in the milk with the dissolved yeast and mix.
Incorporate the flour little by little (along with the dry yeast if indicated above) and work with the whisks.
As soon as the mixer struggles to turn, turn off and continue with a wooden spoon to mix well.
You should get a soft and sticky mixture, NOT workable by hand.
For this, it’s best to use a spatula or spoon.
At this point, cover the surface of the bowl with plastic wrap and place it LITERALLY in a warm place.
The Abruzzese Easter pizza is a dessert that wants to be cuddled! It hates low temperatures.
If you have a radiator at home, it’s the perfect place to rest the Easter pizza.
Lay a blanket or wool scarf on a support surface (table, chair, etc).
Place the bowl with the dough on the blanket and wrap it with another scarf all around.
Let rise WITHOUT TOUCHING for about 4/5 hours.
If you don’t have a radiator or a warm environment, place the bowl in an OFF oven with the light ON.
After the first rising time, take the bowl and place it on the work surface with MUCH care.
Be careful at this step to avoid deflating the dough.
Flip everything onto the work surface. Those who want to make two pizzas should divide it in half.
It’s not necessary to flour the work surface, but it’s important to use a spatula to handle the dough.
Grate a well-washed organic lemon over the flipped dough. Also, place the candied fruits on top.
I used red cherries chopped with a knife and candied citron in small pieces.
Take a spatula (or dough scraper) and lift a corner of the dough, folding it towards the center.
Repeat from all corners until folding the mixture into itself and incorporating the filling.
Since the dough is sticky, it’s crucial to use a spatula or “scraper”.
With gentle movements, fold the dough into itself as shown in the photo.
As for the mold, you can use either disposable paper ones or classic baking molds, knowing that in the paper mold, being narrow and tall, the pizza will also take that shape.
I preferred to use a wide pan sacrificing the height 😉 With these quantities, you’ll need a 1.5 kg paper mold (or two 750 g ones if you divided it in half).
If you use classic molds, you’ll still need to choose tall pans.
If you divide the dough in half, you’ll need two 22 cm pans at least 11 cm tall. Or one 26-28 cm pan at least 8 cm tall.
Since the mixture will rise a lot, line with parchment paper and let it extend a few cm in height.
In this way, you’ll create an additional “edge” to “contain” the dough.
Gently place the mixture inside, cover with a sheet of parchment paper.
Place the pan on the surface used before with wool blankets (or in an off oven with the light on).
Let the pizza rise for another 4/5 hours.
Once the mixture has almost reached the mold’s edge, you can proceed with baking.
Preheat the oven to 320°F, static mode, and place a shallow pan full of water on the bottom.
This will create the right humidity so that the Easter pizza remains soft and fluffy.
Once the temperature is reached, GENTLY take the mold and place it in the oven.
Bake the Easter pizza for about an hour, COVERED with a sheet of parchment paper.
Another clever tip I received is to crumple the paper sheet giving it a “hat” shape.
This way, it’ll stay firm on the mold without falling, and the surface won’t become too dark.
The baking time VARIES from oven to oven, but especially based on the mold used.
If you choose panettone paper molds, narrow and tall, the pizza cooks faster.
If you use classic pans, it’ll take longer.
Therefore, do the test after 50 minutes.
Gently touch the surface with your fingers, if it’s firm, do the toothpick test, if dry, remove from the oven.
If the surface is soft, close the oven IMMEDIATELY and continue for another about 10 minutes.
Once baked, remove your Easter pizza, let cool, and then place it on a wire rack.
This step will help release moisture and better dry the base.
Yes, it was long, but I hope with my tips it wasn’t difficult to prepare this wonderful Easter dessert.
The aroma it releases is fabulous, and the delicate taste even more!
I really hope you’ll try making it and that you’ll like it!
For any doubts, feel free to ask, I’m at your disposal!
Happy Easter Pizza to everyone!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
Are you looking for other delicious Easter ideas? I’m giving you this collection of Unmissable Easter Desserts! There are 14 mouth-watering recipes waiting for you😍😋
Storage and Tips
Storage and Tips
FAQ
How long does this Easter dessert last?
The Easter pizza from Teramo lasts a long time, staying soft and fluffy. Just store it in a container that can be closed or in a large food bag.
It can also be frozen, and in this case, I recommend slicing it and storing the slices in the freezer already portioned. This way, you can defrost only the slices you need and avoid unnecessary waste.I don’t like candied fruits, how can I replace them?
If you’re not a big fan of candied fruits, you can replace them with chocolate chips (2.5 oz), the procedure remains the same. I usually make two Easter pizzas, one with candied fruits and one with chocolate to satisfy my whole family.
If you prefer, you can use only the lemon zest (or orange if desired) to flavor the dessert.Can I add nuts to the dough?
I wouldn’t recommend it; if you want to enjoy this traditional cake, prepare it following the recipe. Any modifications could jeopardize the success of this dessert, which is simple yet tricky due to the rising process. It would be a shame to ruin it by experimenting. This type of recipe takes practice, and only after getting familiar with the dough could you, if desired, add nuts, which, in my opinion, aren’t suitable for this dessert.
Can I reduce the amount of brewer’s yeast?
The answer is no, but obviously, everyone is free to do as they please in the kitchen! Why is it better to avoid decreasing the yeast? The main and unique feature of this Easter cake is the texture, its interior must be moist, soft, and not dry. As someone from Teramo would say: “it must be gnessata” ❤️
To know if you’ve made a Teramo Easter cake correctly, place it on the palm of your hand; you’ll feel all its weight, and that’s a sign of an Abruzzese Easter pizza like the ones our grandmothers made. If the cake is light, it’s not the same. Reducing the yeast isn’t a crime, but you won’t get the same result.
This is a family recipe, and I’ve tried several with even higher yeast doses, so my suggestion is a good compromise for a stunning result!
