Tall Genoese Pandolce a classic of Ligurian cuisine, some believe this is the original Genoese pandolce recipe, and perhaps the most loved one. I have no idea, for sure it is my mother’s favorite, who says it is definitely better than the low Genoese pandolce, which only differs in the dough, very crumbly and without leavening. The Tall Genoese Pandolce is a must on the tables of the Genoese from November 1st until after Epiphany, although then, in truth, it is found all year round in bakeries and bread shops. Be careful not to call it tall Genoese panettone, in Genoa it’s simply called pandolce, because it’s essentially nothing more than bread dough, but with sugar. If you’re in a hurry, you can also try making the Genoese pandolce cookies!
My grandmother told me that when there were no electric ovens in homes, and not everyone had a private wood-fired oven, in the days before Christmas, her mother, my great-grandmother, prepared a large quantity of tall Genoese pandolce and took it to be baked in the bakery’s oven under the house for a few pennies.
If you don’t like candied fruit, you can try making the Genoese pandolce without candied fruit and then make my Genoese pandolce with chocolate chips, or the one with figs and walnuts!
If you want to try making the tall Genoese pandolce yourself, read the recipe and get to work!
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Cost: Expensive
- Rest time: 10 Hours
- Preparation time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Manitoba flour
- 3.2 oz water
- 0.35 oz fresh yeast (or 4 g dry)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 1/8 cups Manitoba flour
- 0.18 oz fresh yeast
- 2.7 oz water
- 3.5 oz butter
- 5.3 oz sugar
- 3.5 oz raisins
- 3.5 oz candied fruit (orange, cedar)
- 1.75 oz pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Preparation
To prepare the tall Genoese pandolce you must first prepare the starter dough, which needs to rise for at least an hour and a half, or until it doubles in size.
Assuming you start preparing the tall pandolce at 6 PM.
In a bowl, pour the warm water along with the yeast and the teaspoon of sugar.
Using a wooden spoon, mix until the yeast is completely dissolved.
Gradually add the flour and continue to mix until you obtain a smooth and not too firm dough.
Cover the mixture in the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in a draft-free place for at least an hour.
At 7 PM, start preparing the actual dough for the tall Genoese pandolce.
Take the starter dough, transfer it to the mixer or kneading machine, add the warm water and yeast, and dissolve it.
Gradually begin to add the flour and sugar, continuing to knead.
When you have obtained a rather firm dough, start adding the room temperature butter in flakes.
Knead vigorously to fully incorporate it into the dough, obtaining a smooth and elastic dough.
Transfer the dough to the work surface and spread it out with your hands.
Prepare your measured candied fruit, raisins, and pine nuts, and pour them over the dough.
Gently knead the pandolce to incorporate all the ingredients into it.
At this point, fold the dough, spreading it wide, almost forming a square. Fold the first side halfway, then the second over the previous.
Now close the other two sides, first one then the next, to shrink the pandolce and make it “chubby.”
Round the dough to seal the bottom of the tall Genoese pandolce, then place it on a non-stick baking tray.
Create a triangle on the surface with a sharp knife, and with a piece of parchment paper, create a circle to contain your pandolce and prevent it from spreading and “sitting” during the leavening.
Place a piece of plastic wrap over the pandolce so the surface doesn’t dry out, and let it rise overnight in the oven, not turning on the light.
The following morning, preheat the oven to 340°F, and as soon as it reaches temperature, bake your pandolce, with parchment paper around, and let it bake for about 50 minutes.
If you notice the surface darkens too much, you can cover it with aluminum foil.
Before removing it from the oven, check the internal cooking with a toothpick. If it comes out wet, let it cook for another 5-10 minutes.
Remove your tall Genoese pandolce from the oven and let it rest for at least a day before cutting it, to fully enjoy all the aromas and flavors.
STORAGE: Store the tall Genoese pandolce inside a food bag for up to a week and a half. It should not be damp, or it risks molding; the inside must be well dry.
TIPS: If you don’t want to wait long leavening times, you can try making the classic low Genoese pandolce, the one with chocolate chips without raisins, or the one with figs and walnuts!
