The DANUBIO CHRISTMAS TREE is the festive leavened bread that wins you over at first sight: soft, theatrical and incredibly indulgent. A collection of small, cloud-like bites filled with savory ingredients and carefully arranged to form an elegant little tree, ready to become the centerpiece of your holiday table.
Each ball is a little surprise: a golden closure that hides a gooey core of cheese, cured meats, vegetables or whatever your imagination suggests.
The aroma of freshly baked bread fills the kitchen, immediately bringing that warm, familiar atmosphere typical of the holiday season. The golden surface, brushed with butter or egg yolk and decorated with crunchy seeds or sprigs of rosemary, adds a further festive touch and invites you to pull off a ball and enjoy it with your hands, as the Danubio tradition suggests.
It is a convivial appetizer, meant to be shared: a single gesture, a smile, and every guest can take their bite, making the Danubio tree the center of the celebration. Perfect to serve during aperitivo, at buffets or as the opening of the Christmas lunch, it combines appearance and taste in a soft, irresistible leavened bread.
The savory Danubio shaped like a Christmas tree is not just a recipe: it is a simple yet striking idea that brings the magic of the holidays to the table with all the genuineness of homemade. A true holiday evergreen that delights both the eyes and the palate.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 8 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 4 cups Manitoba flour
- 1 1/8 cups milk
- 3/4 tbsp fresh yeast
- 1 2/3 tbsp sugar
- 1 egg (medium at room temperature)
- 4 tbsp butter (soft)
- 1 2/3 tsp salt
- 2 oz cooked ham (in a single slice)
- 5 oz spinach
- 2/3 cup ricotta (drained)
- 1 1/2 oz Parmesan
- 2 oz caciocavallo (scamorza, provolone or mozzarella)
- to taste salt
- to taste nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp milk
What you’ll need for the Danubio Christmas Tree
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Work surface
- 1 Scale
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Pastry brush
Steps
The preparation of the DANUBIO CHRISTMAS TREE is simple and within everyone’s reach.
Dissolve the yeast and the sugar in lukewarm milk. In a bowl or in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, place the flour, the egg and the milk.
Knead everything for 5 minutes until you obtain a homogeneous dough.Add the soft butter little by little and let it be fully absorbed by the dough.
Finally, incorporate the salt and work the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.Shape into a loaf, transfer it to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1h30 or until doubled in the switched-off oven with the light on.
In a pan, add a drizzle of oil and cook the spinach. Season with salt and let cool. Then squeeze them well and chop finely.
In a bowl put the well-drained ricotta, the Parmesan, the spinach, salt and nutmeg. Mix everything and add the cooked ham and the cheese cut into cubes.
Mix thoroughly and transfer to the fridge.
Once risen, transfer the dough to the work surface. Divide it into pieces of about 40 g each.
Flatten each piece slightly, making a few folds, fill with the filling, close into a ball and shape it smoothly.Arrange the balls on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper forming a tree.
Cover and let rise for another 1 hour.Brush the Danubio with egg yolk and milk.
Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F for 22–24 minutes, until golden.
Remove the Danubio Christmas Tree from the oven and enjoy it warm, soft and gooey.
Storage
In the refrigerator for 2–3 days.
This is the best method to store it properly.
How to do it: let the Danubio cool completely, wrap it well with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. Keep it on a not-too-cold shelf in the fridge to avoid it drying out.
Before serving: reheat it in the microwave or in the oven at 248–284°F for 10 minutes: it will become soft and fragrant again.
