from the book “The slow leavening” by Piergiorgio Giorilli. The Nadalin is the father of Pandoro, born in Verona at the court of the Scaligeri family at the end of the 13th century, which celebrated the first Christmas after the investiture as Lords of Verona. The ingredients are similar to Pandoro, but less buttery and more compact. Traditionally it is consumed on Christmas Eve after midnight mass, accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate or a glass of Recioto della Valpolicella. The Nadalin of Verona is a soft cake, dry enough, ideal to enjoy at breakfast during the holidays or as a dessert, also accompanied by a custard or zabaglione.
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: New Year, Christmas
Ingredients
For 2 pieces of 1.65 lbs each
- 3.5 oz sourdough starter
- 0.85 cup water
- 0.6 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp egg yolks
- 0.5 cup butter
- 3.4 cups all-purpose flour (W 380)
- 0.8 cup all-purpose flour (W 320)
- 0.5 cup sugar
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 0.75 cup butter
- 1.4 tbsp cocoa butter
- 1 tbsp almond flour
- 1 tsp bitter almonds
- 0.25 cup sugar
- 1 tsp rice starch (or potato starch)
- egg white
- almonds
- sugar crystals
- powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Mixer
- 2 Molds
Steps
It is important for the dough that all ingredients are very cold, even store the flour in the fridge.
8:00 I° refreshing of the sourdough starter, leavening at 82°F for 3-4 hours to triple
12:00 II° refreshing of the sourdough starter, leavening at 82°F for 3-4 hours to triple
16:00 III° refreshing of the sourdough starter, leavening at 82°F for 3-4 hours to triplee20:00 working time 20/25 minutes with dough temperature max 79°F
Dissolve the sugar in the water and pour into a mixer with the flour and the sourdough starter.
Start kneading with the hook at medium-low speed (Kenwood mixer speed 1).
Knead for 15 minutes, until the dough becomes compact and smooth and the gluten begins to form.
Add the butter and knead for a couple of minutes.
Add the egg yolks and let it form.
Transfer the dough to a work surface.
Shape into a ball and place in a container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap.
Let it rise at 75°-79°F for 10-12 hours or until the volume has tripledPrepare the glaze by blending all the ingredients in a food processor. Keep it covered in the fridge.
08:00-10:00 working time 40-45 minutes with dough temperature max 77°F
Deflate the I° dough and let it cool for 30 minutes in the fridge.
Place the first dough and the flour into the bowl of the mixer, knead for 10 minutes.
Add 0.35 cup of sugar gradually and then the salt.
Let the dough form and add the eggs, then the softened butter emulsified with the remaining 0.15 cup of sugar.
Finally incorporate the melted and cooled cocoa butter.
Let the dough rest in the bowl at 79-82°F for an hour.
Place the dough on a greased work surface.
Divide into two pieces of 1.65 lbs each and round them (rounding, here the video).
Let rise at 86°-89°F for 5-6 hours or until it reaches the edge of the mold, covered with plastic wrap.
Spread a thin layer of icing and sprinkle with almonds, pine nuts, sugar crystals, and powdered sugar.
Bake at 338°F in a preheated static oven.
Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour.
The core temperature should be 199°F, then you can take the Nadalin out of the oven.
After baking, pierce with appropriate pins and immediately invert for 10-12 hours.
Package in the appropriate bags, spraying previously with 194°F alcohol.
Advice
They keep for 30 days in a sealed bag.
In the absence of cocoa butter, you can substitute it with high-quality white chocolate of the same weight.
Instead of bitter almonds, add the same amount of sweet almonds and flavor with bitter almond extract.
It is important for the dough that all ingredients are very cold, even store the flour in the fridge.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I make the Nadalin of Verona lactose-free?
Of course, by using lactose-free butter with lactose less than 0.01% or plant-based products.
