The Nadalin is the signature Christmas cake of Verona: a large leavened bread that originated the modern pandoro. Unlike pandoro, Nadalin has a more compact, rustic crumb, a shorter proofing time and a simple decoration of almonds, pine nuts and powdered sugar. Its citrusy, buttery scent tells of festive traditions when sweets were prepared at home with slow, patient gestures, and it resembles more a large sweet bread than a contemporary enriched dough. Nadalin improves after 24 hours of rest, when aromas and structure settle. It will keep wrapped in a food bag for 4-5 days. It is excellent served with sweet wine, passito or a mascarpone cream. Below, let’s see together what you’ll need to make this traditional Veronese cake at home:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Moderate
- Rest time: 3 Hours 40 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Manitoba (strong) flour
- 1/2 cup 00 (Italian all-purpose) flour
- 3.4 fl oz warm water (about 100 ml)
- 0.5 oz fresh yeast (about 15 g; if using active dry yeast, ≈ 1 2/3 tsp)
- all of the pre-dough
- 1 2/3 cup 00 (Italian all-purpose) flour (about 200 g)
- 2/3 cup Manitoba (strong) flour (about 80 g)
- 1 tsp (active dry yeast) fresh yeast (about 10 g) or ~1 tsp active dry yeast
- 5 tbsp butter (soft, about 70 g)
- 2 eggs
- 5 tbsp sugar (about 60 g)
- 1 tbsp honey (about 15 g)
- finely grated orange and lemon zest
- vanilla extract (to taste)
- 1 tsp salt (about 5 g)
- 1 egg yolk
- to taste sliced almonds
- to taste pine nuts
- powdered sugar
Steps
Dissolve the fresh yeast in the lukewarm water. Combine the flours and knead until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl), combine the two flours, place all the pre-dough in the center, add the eggs, the sugar, the yeast dissolved in a small bowl with the honey and a tablespoon of water.
Begin kneading, working all the ingredients until you obtain an elastic dough. Incorporate the soft butter little by little, waiting for it to be completely absorbed before adding more.
Aromatize with the finely grated orange and lemon zests, add the vanilla and finally the salt, continuing to knead until the dough is smooth, silky and well developed.
Shape into a loaf, place it in a lightly buttered bowl, cover and let it rise until doubled in volume (about 2-3 hours, depending on room temperature).
Turn the dough out onto the work surface, gently deflate it and rework the dough briefly. Place it into a star-shaped Nadalin pan (Ø 10 in), previously buttered and floured, spreading it with your hands to fill even the points of the star.
Cover and let rise again until the dough reaches about 3/8 in from the edge of the pan. Gently brush the surface with the beaten egg yolk. Scatter the sliced almonds and a few pine nuts and dust with powdered sugar.
Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 338°F for about 35-40 minutes (place a small pot of water on the bottom of the oven and remove it after the first 20 minutes of baking). If the surface tends to brown too much, cover with aluminum foil for the last minutes of baking. Always perform the toothpick test.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Before serving, dust the Nadalin with powdered sugar to taste.
Bon appétit and.. see you next recipe!
If you try this recipe, be sure to tag #ipasticcinidinina on Instagram so I can see it and share it with the community.
