Today I propose a version of pastiera that is super soft and delicious: leavened pastiera inspired by Alfonso Pepe’s leavened dough. A soft cake or rather brioche of leavened dough that encloses the taste of wheat and the scent of orange blossoms.
You might also be interested in these other Easter recipes:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 20 Hours
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 15 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Easter
- Energy 595.39 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 82.46 (g) of which sugars 43.70 (g)
- Proteins 8.71 (g)
- Fat 27.26 (g) of which saturated 15.92 (g)of which unsaturated 9.38 (g)
- Fibers 2.51 (g)
- Sodium 180.68 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 160 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
LEAVENED PASTIERA INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsps fresh yeast
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 7 tbsps butter
- 3 tbsps egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh yeast
- 1 1/2 cups candied orange
- 1/2 cup cooked wheat
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup sheep's milk ricotta
- 1 oz honey
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups cake flour
- 7 oz butter (soft)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup eggs
- 3 tbsps potato starch
- 1 tbsp egg yolks
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Mixer
LEAVENED PASTIERA PREPARATION
Dissolve the yeast in 1/3 cup of warm water and mix it with the flour. Let it rest at room temperature for 12 hours.
Add the flour and 2/3 cup of warm water where you dissolved the yeast to the starter. Mix, add the sugar, mix, and then add the egg yolk. Knead the dough well to bind it, then add the soft butter in pieces and work until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough. Let it rise until it doubles in volume.
Add the sugar and honey to the first dough. Add the soft butter in pieces, the salt, and the drained sheep’s milk ricotta. Blend half of the candied fruits and add them to the dough with the cooked wheat. Knead for about 10 minutes, adding the remaining candied fruits in cubes. Divide the dough in half. Place each half in the panettone mold and let rise for 5 hours well covered. The dough should reach the edge of the mold.
Meanwhile, prepare the shortcrust pastry. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar, then add almond flour, egg, salt, and egg yolk. Finally, add the flour and potato starch until you get a soft mixture. With the soft shortcrust pastry, create the classic strips on the leavened doughs. Bake at 165 °C (329 °F) for 50 minutes, in a preheated oven. Remove from oven and let cool.
Your leavened pastiera is ready to serve with a nice dusting of powdered sugar.
Adriana’s Advice
You can choose and vary the diameter of the molds. I recommend a mold with a diameter of 8 inches up to a maximum of 9.5 inches.
