If you are Genoese and reading this article, you already know… but for those who don’t know it, the Genoese Pandolce or simply pandolce, often also called Genoese panettone, is a typical product especially of Genoa, but also of the rest of Liguria. The quintessential dessert during the Christmas holidays: circular in shape, there are two versions “high” and “low” and they differ not only in the presence or absence of yeast in the dough but also in some aromas and different proportions in the ingredients.
Last year in Genoa, the Genoese Low Pandolce Championship called ANTICA GENOVA was held for the first time, where more than 100 participants competed, and I participated as well. After an exhausting “battle” of raisins, pine nuts and flour, I managed to stand out and placed 2nd!!!!
I am therefore pleased to share with you the legendary and ancient recipe from my grandmother for the GENOESE LOW PANDOLCE, the original recipe that allowed me to reach second place at the World Low Pandolce Championship.
If you want more information on how the event takes place because you may have decided to participate this year, read this ARTICLE.
The event is organized by Confcommercio Genova– CNA Genova and Liguria Gourmet, under the patronage of the Liguria Region. All the info regarding the II GENOESE LOW PANDOLCE CHAMPIONSHIP can be found at this LINK.
Other typical GENOESE recipes for CHRISTMAS are
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
- Energy 760.87 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 121.60 (g) of which sugars 66.18 (g)
- Proteins 13.08 (g)
- Fat 28.28 (g) of which saturated 13.45 (g)of which unsaturated 13.07 (g)
- Fibers 3.57 (g)
- Sodium 109.80 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 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
- 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups Manitoba flour
- 4 eggs (whole)
- 1 1/3 cups butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange flavor
- 1 packet baking powder
- salt (1 pinch)
- 3 1/2 cups raisins
- 1 cup candied citron
- 1 cup candied orange
- 1 1/4 cups pine nuts
Tools
- Bowl
- Baking Pan
Steps
You can proceed either by kneading by hand or with the stand mixer. If you decide to knead by hand, I recommend halving the dose to make the work easier. You will still get a Low Genoese Pandolce with a cooked weight of about 2 lbs.
Sift together the two flours with the baking powder in a bowl or in the stand mixer.
Add the butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces, and the sugar.
Add the other ingredients as well: eggs, honey, orange blossom essence, and a pinch of salt.
Knead everything in a bowl or on a work surface for at least 5/6 minutes until all the ingredients are well combined, and the mixture is homogeneous (if you use the mixer, 3 minutes are sufficient).
At this point, you can add the “topping”: raisins, candied citron and orange peel cut into cubes as similar as possible and the size of the raisins, and finally the pine nuts. Knead again to absorb all the dried fruit evenly into the dough. I recommend adding it in two parts, it is easier to knead. Remember, in this recipe, the raisins should not be soaked; take them straight from the supermarket bag!
Now the dough is ready to be baked. You only have to decide the size of your Pandolci. I usually divide the dough into 2 and thus obtain 2 forms of Low Genoese Pandolce of about 2.6 lbs each (good for 6/8 people), but nothing stops you from making 4 and getting the typical cut of Genoese pandolce sold in pastry shops of 1.2 lbs.
Once the size is decided, divide the dough, place it on a lightly floured work surface, spread it slightly, then fold it over itself as if it were a loaf. Put each Pandolce on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and flatten it with the palm of your hand on the surface to lower it slightly and obtain a disk about 1 1/2 inches thick, slightly domed.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 340°F for about 50 minutes. Cooking times obviously depend on the size of your Pandolce. I recommend checking the cooking after 45 minutes with the toothpick test. If it is still a little undercooked, leave it for a few more minutes in the oven, preferably covered with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning too much on the surface. Once ready, take it out and let it cool.
STORAGE
Once ready, the Genoese Low Pandolce can be stored for up to 10 days if well wrapped in aluminum foil and closed in an airtight container
ORIGINS OF THE GENOESE PANDOLCE
The origins of pandolce are ancient and date back to the 16th century. It is said that during the government of Andrea Doria, Doge of Genoa, it was prepared for the first time to show the cultural and gastronomic wealth of the Ligurian maritime republic.
CURIOSITIES
According to tradition, the GENOESE PANDOLCE was to be brought to the table at Christmas by the youngest family member, who then passed it for cutting to the oldest.
Two slices had to be saved from each Pandolce: one had to be traditionally given to the poor, while the other was to be eaten on February 3rd, St. Blaise’s day, for throat protection.
The first edition of the LOW GENOESE PANDOLCE CHAMPIONSHIP was held in Genoa on November 12, 2023.
VARIANTS
Some recipes include the addition of fennel seeds and rum for an even more fragrant and aromatic product; others use anise seeds and marsala.
You can also use grated lemon or orange peel for a citrus note.
For some time in GENOA, versions have appeared, for an even more delicious variant suitable for the little ones at home, with the addition of chocolate chips instead of candied fruit and toasted hazelnuts.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How do you say pandolce in Genoese?
In Genoese, Pandolce is written as pandôçe and pronounced as panduse.
