The Easter sweet pizza, also called the Roman “pizza ricresciuta”, is a traditional leavened cake typical of central Italy that cannot be missing from the Easter breakfast table.
In Rome, Easter morning is a special and eagerly awaited moment. The table fills with traditional flavors: hard-boiled eggs, corallina (the typical Roman salami), pastiera, colomba, Easter egg chocolate and many sweet and savory preparations. Among these are the cheese Easter pizza, the Easter sweet pizza and torta pasqualina. In short, a rich and convivial breakfast where every family brings its own treasured recipes.
The Easter sweet pizza was born as a peasant recipe: simple and wholesome, made with a few pantry ingredients: flour, eggs, olive oil, milk and yeast. What makes it special are the traditional aromatics such as anise, cinnamon and lemon and orange zest, which release an intense and unmistakable fragrance while baking.
The result is a tall, soft interior with a darker, firmer crust on the outside. Its enveloping aroma and bold flavor make it truly unique, one of those traditional sweets you remember forever.
Once baked, let the Easter sweet pizza cool completely before slicing. It keeps perfectly for 3 days if stored in a food bag, remaining soft and fragrant as if freshly made.
Let’s discover this wonderful recipe from Roman tradition together.
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter
- Energy 380.97 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 65.38 (g) of which sugars 22.77 (g)
- Proteins 11.56 (g)
- Fat 8.57 (g) of which saturated 1.72 (g)of which unsaturated 1.06 (g)
- Fibers 2.19 (g)
- Sodium 18.11 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 120 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 for the Easter sweet pizza
- 4 cups Manitoba (strong) flour (+ about 2½ tbsp for the work surface (about 20 g))
- 3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp whole milk (warm)
- 2 eggs (medium, deep-yellow yolk)
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 oz (about 15 g; ~2 standard 0.25 oz yeast packets) fresh brewer's yeast
- 1 tbsp anise seeds (heaping)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 orange zest (grated)
- 1 lemon zest (grated)
You will need
- Bowls
- Mold
I prepare the Easter sweet pizza
In a small bowl, pour the warm milk, add the brewer’s yeast and a teaspoon of sugar taken from the total amount in the recipe. Stir with a teaspoon until the yeast is fully dissolved and let it rest for a few minutes.
In another bowl, break the eggs and lightly beat them with a fork. Add the oil, the sugar and the aromatics, then mix well until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Place the flour in a large bowl and, with your fist, make the classic well in the center. Pour in the egg mixture and the yeast dissolved in milk, then start mixing first with a hand whisk.
When the dough begins to take shape, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface and continue working it with your hands until you obtain a smooth, soft and elastic dough.
The step is clear, but it can be made smoother and more natural by avoiding some repetitions. Here is an improved version:
Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 3 hours, until it has doubled in volume.
After the first rise, briefly work the dough with your hands on the work surface. Then transfer it to a buttered and floured mold and let it rise overnight, covered with a cloth and placed in the turned-off oven.After the final rise the dough will have doubled in volume. At this point all that remains is to bake the Easter sweet pizza in a convection oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 1 hour.
Before baking, place a small bowl with some water in the oven: the steam created during baking helps keep the inside of the pizza softer and the outer crust less dry.
Once baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing so it retains all its softness and aroma.
Our Easter sweet pizza is ready. Let it cool well before removing it from the mold. Its aroma has already filled the whole house and I can’t wait to cut the first slice to taste this marvel.
I wish you all a peaceful and sweet Easter. ❤️
Susy
Storage and useful tips
The Easter sweet pizza keeps perfectly for 3 days at room temperature. I recommend keeping it well sealed in a food bag or under a cake dome so it stays soft and fragrant longer.
If you want to keep it even softer, you can wrap it in a clean cloth before placing it in the bag. This way it will absorb moisture without drying out.
Before serving, you can warm a slice lightly for a few seconds: it will become crisp again and the aroma of the spices will be even more noticeable.
For an even more fragrant result you can enrich the dough with a splash of anise liqueur or sambuca, or add a pinch of cinnamon and grated orange zest.
If you want a gluten-free version, try preparing it with a specific gluten-free flour mix for large leavened doughs, adjusting the liquids slightly to obtain a soft and elastic dough.
