The Mini Christmas Pandoros are a small version of the classic pandoro, perfect for bringing a soft and scenic dessert to the table during the holidays. Made with a rich butter and vanilla-scented leavened dough, they are ideal for a Christmas breakfast, as a tasty gift or for an elegant dessert buffet. With this recipe, you can make them at home without difficulty, achieving soft, golden, and irresistible pandoros.
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients for the Mini Christmas Pandoros:
- 1 1/4 oz Manitoba flour
- 1 tsp fresh yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 1/2 tbsp milk (warm)
- prepared starter dough
- 3 1/2 oz Manitoba flour
- 3 1/2 oz all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 tbsp water
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 5 1/2 tbsp butter (soft)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 oz sugar
- vanilla
- orange zest
Tools
🔧 Necessary Tools
🥣 Large bowl (or mixer with dough hook)
🥄 Spatula or wooden spoon for mixing
🧈 Mini pandoro molds (non-stick or silicone)
📄 Plastic wrap or damp cloth to cover the dough
🧤 Oven mitts for handling hot molds
🍴 Kitchen scale for weighing ingredients and dividing portions
🔥 Oven preheated to 350-355 °F
🌫 Sieve for dusting powdered sugar
Steps
For the preparation of the Mini Christmas Pandoros watch the video HERE.
Preparation of the starter dough
Dissolve the yeast with the sugar in warm milk, add the Manitoba flour, and mix until you get a smooth paste. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (about 45-60 minutes).
In a large bowl (or mixer), combine the starter dough, the flours, water, egg, and egg yolk. Start kneading until the liquids are absorbed.
Add lemon zest, orange zest, preferred aromas, and sugar, continuing to work. When the dough is smooth, incorporate the soft butter in pieces, a little at a time, continuing to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Form a ball, cover the dough, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (about 1-2 hours, depending on temperature).
When the dough has risen, divide it into 6 equal portions of about 3-3.5 oz each. Shape each portion into a ball and place it in the buttered pandoro mold.
Cover the molds, let rise until the dough reaches the edge of the mold (about 1 hour or more, depending on room temperature).
Preheat the oven to 350-355 °F. Bake the pandoros for 20-25 minutes, checking for browning. If the surface darkens too much before the interior is cooked, cover with foil.
Remove from oven and let cool upside down on a rack for a few minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.
Enjoy!
🧊 Storage
At room temperature:
Keep them in a tightly closed food bag or airtight container for 2-3 days, away from heat and humidity.
To keep them soft:
Add a piece of apple or dry bread in the bag: it helps to retain moisture and the pandoros will stay soft longer.
In the refrigerator:
Not recommended, as cold tends to dry out the dough.
In the freezer:
You can freeze them already cooked and completely cool. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then in a freezer bag.
They last up to 1 month. To enjoy, let them thaw at room temperature and warm for a few minutes in the oven at 212 °F or 20 seconds in the microwave.
