The Savory Easter Cheese Pie is incredibly easy and quick to make, and it is a must-have; without it, preparing Easter and Easter Monday breakfast would not be possible. It is a typical recipe from central Italy, but I don’t know if there is a variation in other regions. On Easter Morning, it is served in Rome along with corallina, chocolate eggs, hard-boiled eggs, colomba, and so on. What’s left is eaten the next day, also for breakfast, or consumed during the traditional outdoor picnic. I usually prepare it two or three days in advance because, although it is super quick using instant yeast, I don’t want to take any chances.
Here are links to some typical Easter savory pies:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8/10 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 4 cups Flour
- 4 Eggs
- Half packet instant yeast for savory preparations
- 3.5 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup Water
- 3.5 oz Grated Parmesan
- 5.3 oz Grated Pecorino Romano
- 5.3 oz Gruyere/Provola in pieces
- Half tsp Ground black pepper
Tools
- 1 Baking Pan
- 1 Bowl
How to Prepare the Savory Easter Cheese Pie
First of all, organize your workspace with all the ingredients already measured out, so you have everything at hand. Pour the flour into a large bowl, create a sort of well in the center, and pour the eggs into it. Once well mixed, add the extra virgin olive oil first, and after it has been absorbed, finish with room temperature water.
Add the Parmesan, Pecorino, yeast, and mix everything well with your hands.
At this point, place the dough on the work surface for better kneading. Knead until you have a smooth and homogeneous mixture. First, form a sort of ball and then spread it with your fingers, starting from the center outward.
Place the cheese pieces in the center, gently close, and knead again for a few seconds.
Open the dough a little, sprinkle with ground black pepper, close again kneading for a few seconds this time, and place the dough back in the initial bowl.
Grease and flour a cylindrical cake mold with a diameter of 8.66 inches (22 cm), and place the dough inside. Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C), static mode, and bake for about 50 minutes, or until it is well browned on the surface. The mold I used for the recipe is not the right one. I had to improvise because, thinking it was in the usual place, I didn’t prepare it in advance.
After the necessary baking time, turn off the oven and let it cool with the door slightly open. Use a spatula to remove it from the pan, and place it on a rack so it gradually loses all excess moisture.
Serve your Savory Easter Cheese Pie only when it has completely cooled.
Tips and Storage
You can prepare the cheese pie 2 or 3 days in advance and store it in a paper or cloth bread bag.
If you don’t like the spiciness of aged Pecorino, remove it and increase the amount of Parmesan.
