The BRIOCHE COLOMBA is a soft, indulgent twist on the traditional Colomba Pasquale, made with a dough similar to brioche. Compared to the classic version, this colomba has a softer, more buttery texture and a gentle citrus-and-almond flavor.
This version of the colomba is perfect for those who love soft pastries and want a simpler approach than the traditional colomba. I opted for a fairly neutral dough enriched with raisins, which add natural sweetness and a tender crumb, but you can customize it by adding candied fruit or chocolate chips and topping it with a cocoa glaze.
It’s very easy to make and, if you follow the step-by-step photos, you’ll be able to bring a delicious centerpiece to your Easter table and win over your guests.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 14People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter
- Energy 298.00 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 44.05 (g) of which sugars 17.93 (g)
- Proteins 8.15 (g)
- Fat 10.48 (g) of which saturated 5.08 (g)of which unsaturated 4.83 (g)
- Fibers 1.65 (g)
- Sodium 186.31 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 85 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 cups Manitoba flour (Caputo Manitoba oro; about 500 g (17.6 oz))
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cup granulated sugar (about 110 g (3.9 oz))
- 4 tsp active dry yeast (about 12 g)
- 3 eggs eggs (slightly less than 3 medium eggs (about 137 g))
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp cup milk (at room temperature; about 137 g (4.8 oz))
- 1 vial almond extract
- 1/2 cup cup butter (soft at room temperature; about 110 g (3.9 oz))
- lemon zest (unsprayed)
- orange zest (unsprayed)
- 1/2 cup cup raisins (about 80 g (2.8 oz); soak before using)
- 1 egg white egg white (about 30 g)
- 1/2 cup cup ground almonds (about 45 g (1.6 oz))
- 1/2 cup cup confectioners' sugar (about 50 g (1.8 oz))
- 2 tbsp coarse (pearl) sugar (about 20 g (0.7 oz))
- 10 whole almonds whole almonds (about 15 g (0.5 oz))
What you’ll need for the brioche colomba
- 1 Mold for 1 kg colomba
- 1 Bowl
- 2 Small bowls
- 1 Pastry board
- Plastic wrap
Brioche Colomba Preparation
In a bowl, put the eggs and milk at room temperature in equal quantities and the vial of almond extract.
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, place the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar, and mix.
Add the liquids and begin to combine all the ingredients, mixing for 10 minutes.
Add the orange and lemon zest and incorporate them. Soak the raisins for 10 minutes.
Finally, add the softened butter little by little until fully incorporated and you obtain a homogeneous, smooth, elastic dough. Add the well-drained raisins and fold them into the dough.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise in a turned-off oven with the light on until it has tripled in volume. It will take about 1 hour and a half.
I recommend using a very large bowl to prevent the dough from overflowing during this phase.
After the rising time, gently turn the dough out onto the work surface. Make a few folds and divide it in half.
Place it inside the 1 kg colomba mold (find the purchase link in the tools), cover with plastic wrap and let it rise again for 1 hour, until it reaches the edge of the mold.In a bowl, place the egg whites, the ground almonds and the confectioners’ sugar. Mix well until smooth and fairly dense and gently spread it over the surface of the brioche colomba.
Finish with a few whole almonds and the coarse sugar.
Bake your brioche colomba in a preheated conventional/static oven at 347°F for 25 minutes.After 25 minutes check the doneness with the classic skewer test.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Storage
Wrap it well with plastic wrap or put it in a food bag, removing as much air as possible. Store it in a cool, dry place, away from heat sources and humidity.
Tip to refresh it
If the colomba starts to dry out, you can warm it slightly in the oven at 302°F for a few minutes or in the microwave for a few seconds to make it softer.
