This year I wanted to take on a really challenging task, the chocolate and cocoa pandoro with natural yeast. In previous years, I had already prepared both pandoro and panettone, but never with sourdough. I must say I am quite satisfied, even though I still need to perfect a few things. Making pandoro with sourdough is a bit laborious to manage, but believe me, it’s nothing impossible, even without entirely professional means.
Two doughs without lamination, but so much goodness, I recommend trying to make it, but before starting, read the recipe to the end, especially to evaluate the timing and procedure.
For the rest, all I have to do is wish you good work and good pandoro!
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Day 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 2 Days
- Portions: 6/8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 250.62 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 29.02 (g) of which sugars 13.34 (g)
- Proteins 4.95 (g)
- Fat 13.51 (g) of which saturated 7.08 (g)of which unsaturated 3.70 (g)
- Fibers 1.10 (g)
- Sodium 93.25 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 60 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 Chocolate and Cocoa Pandoro
- 100 g sourdough starter (Refreshed at least 3 times during the day)
- 6 1/2 oz sugar
- 3 egg whites (About 3.9 oz)
- 5 2/3 oz Manitoba flour
- 3 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup butter (Room temperature "cream butter")
- 2 3/4 oz Manitoba flour
- 1 oz unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 oz sugar
- 2/3 oz wildflower honey
- 1/2 cup butter (Melted and cooled butter)
- 3 egg yolks (About 1.8 oz)
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 oz dark chocolate chips
- 3 1/2 oz white chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp butter (For the mold)
- as needed flour (For the mold)
- as needed powdered sugar (For decoration)
Tools
- Pans 1 kg pandoro mold
- 1 Stand Mixer
- Bowl (large)
- Plastic wrap
- Kitchen towel
- Hook attachment for stand mixer
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Scale
Preparation of Chocolate and Cocoa Pandoro
Here is the 1 kg pandoro mold I use, you can find it here
To strengthen the sourdough starter, I recommend starting to refresh it in the morning; so you can finish during the day and start the first dough in the evening at 8 PM.
First refresh of the natural yeast at 8 AM.
Second refresh at 12 PM.
Third refresh at 4 PM.
First dough:
Preferably in the evening at 8 PM
Pour 100 g of sourdough starter in pieces, water, and sugar into the stand mixer bowl. Knead with the hook attachment for at least 5 minutes until the ingredients are well dissolved.
Add the egg whites to the mixture little by little and continue kneading. When the egg whites are well incorporated, add the flour. Continue to knead for at least 15 minutes, the flour must be well incorporated until a perfect dough is achieved. Once the dough is ready, gradually add the room temperature “softened” butter in small pieces.
When the dough has reached the right consistency, remove it from the stand mixer; place it inside a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, then place a kitchen towel on top. Now let it rise in a warm place, the oven off with the light on works well. Leave it all night, about 12/13 hours, it should triple in volume.
Second dough:
The following morning, take the dough and pour it into the stand mixer, add the remaining flour “80 g” and knead until thoroughly mixed.
When working the dough with the stand mixer, the temperature of the dough should never exceed 75°F. Check it with a kitchen thermometer.
In the meantime, prepare the emulsion to add: Melt the butter and let it cool, add the egg yolks, sugar, salt, honey, cocoa, and emulsify everything together.
Now add the emulsion to the dough, then prepare the dark and white chocolate chips, which will be needed later.
Work with the stand mixer until you have a well-incorporated dough, once ready, add the chocolate chips, mix slightly, and then let it rest for about an hour at 82°F.
Take a 1 kg pandoro mold, butter it, if you prefer to be safe, you can also flour it. Take back the dough and before placing it inside;
Round the dough: round the dough with buttered hands on a work surface. Create a smooth and homogeneous sphere, this will allow the dough to rise with regular growth.
Let it rise again for 12 hours covered with a sheet of plastic wrap and a cloth on top. When it reaches the edge of the mold, the pandoro is ready for baking. Remove the plastic wrap to let it air, in the meantime, preheat the oven.
Bake in a preheated oven at 340°F for about 45/50 minutes, always adapt to your oven. There is no way to verify the end of cooking, except with a probe thermometer. It will be cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 201°F. If it gets too dark on the surface; after 35 minutes you can open the oven and cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil and continue baking.
Once baked, let it cool in the mold for at least 1 hour. Then turn the mold over a cooling rack and when it’s ready, remove your chocolate and cocoa pandoro.
Dust with plenty of powdered sugar and serve, but if you can resist, enjoy it the next day, it will be even better.
Happy Pandoro and happy indulgence!
If you want to know more about the History of pandoro
Advice and Storage
To make a good pandoro, always use quality ingredients, especially butter.
To best preserve pandoro, use food-grade cellophane bags, I usually consume pandoro within a week. If you wish to keep it beyond this period, before sealing it in bags, make sure to spray the inside with food-grade ethyl alcohol. This will prevent molds caused by humidity.
If you want to enjoy pandoro as if just baked, heat it a bit to melt the butter before serving, you’ll taste how delicious it is!
Can fresh brewer’s yeast be used instead of sourdough for chocolate and cocoa pandoro?
Yes, you can use 18/20 g of brewer’s yeast
