The COLOMBA BRIOCHE is a soft, indulgent variation of the traditional Colomba Pasquale, made with a dough similar to brioche. Unlike the classic version, this colomba has a more tender, buttery texture with delicate citrus and almond notes that envelop the palate.
This version of the colomba is perfect for those who prefer very soft pastries and want a simpler preparation than the traditional colomba. I chose a fairly neutral dough enriched with raisins, which provide natural sweetness and a soft texture, but you can personalize it by adding candied fruit or chocolate chips and finishing it with a cocoa glaze.
Making it is very simple and, if you follow the step-by-step photos, you’ll be able to pull a delight out of the oven for your Easter table and win over your guests.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 14Persone
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter
- Energy 298.00 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 44.05 (g) of which sugars 17.93 (g)
- Proteins 8.15 (g)
- Fat 10.48 (g) of which saturated 5.08 (g)of which unsaturated 4.83 (g)
- Fibers 1.65 (g)
- Sodium 186.31 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 85 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
- 4 cups Manitoba flour (Manitoba Oro Caputo)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 medium eggs eggs (just under 3 medium eggs (original weight ~137 g))
- 1/2 + 1 tbsp cup milk (at room temperature (about 137 g))
- 1 vial almond extract
- 1/2 cup butter (soft at room temperature (about 110 g))
- lemon zest (unwaxed)
- orange zest (unwaxed)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 egg white egg white
- 1/3 cup almonds, ground
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp pearl sugar
- 10 whole almonds almonds (about 10 whole almonds (≈15 g))
You will need for the brioche colomba
- 1 Mold for 1 kg colomba
- 1 Bowl
- 2 Small bowls
- 1 Work surface
- Plastic wrap
Brioche Colomba Preparation
In a bowl place the eggs and the milk at room temperature in equal quantities and add the vial of almond extract.
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or dough hook if preferred), put the flour, the yeast, the salt, the sugar and mix.
Add the liquids and begin to combine all the ingredients, working them for about 10 minutes.
Add the orange and lemon zest and incorporate them. Soak the raisins for 10 minutes.
Finally, add the soft butter little by little until fully incorporated and you obtain a homogeneous, smooth and elastic dough. Add the well-drained raisins and mix them into the dough.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise in a switched-off oven with the light on until it has tripled in volume. It will take about 1.5 hours.
I recommend using a very large bowl to prevent the dough from overflowing the sides during this phase.
After the rising time, gently turn the dough out onto the work surface. Make a few folds and divide it in half.
Place it inside the 1 kg colomba mold (you can find the purchase link among the tools), cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for another 1 hour, until it reaches the rim of the mold.In a bowl put the egg whites, the ground almonds and the powdered sugar. Mix well until smooth and fairly thick and gently spread it over the surface of the brioche colomba.
Finish with a few whole almonds and the pearl sugar.
Bake your brioche colomba in a preheated static oven at 347°F for 25 minutes.After 25 minutes check for doneness with the classic skewer test.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Storage
Wrap it well with plastic wrap or place it in a food bag, removing as much air as possible. Store it in a cool, dry place, away from heat sources and humidity.
Advice to refresh it
Advice to refresh it
Advice to refresh it
If the colomba begins to dry out, you can warm it slightly in the oven at 302°F for a few minutes or in the microwave for a few seconds to make it softer.
