This pandoro is not made to be perfect to the minute or the degree. It’s made to be at home, while doing other things, while time passes slowly and the dough rises slowly. It’s one of those desserts that don’t ask you to rush, just to wait.
Unlike many pandoros with double or triple leavenings, here there is a single dough, worked with calm and let rise for a long time, without forcing. The result is a soft, fragrant pandoro that stays soft even the next day and is prepared by following the dough’s timing, not the clock’s.
It’s not an easy recipe, this must be said. But it’s a human recipe, made of pauses, waiting, and small repeated gestures. The Monsieur Cuisine Smart helps, but the difference is made by respecting the times: no shortcuts, just patience.
It’s the pandoro to make when Christmas is not just a date, but a moment to prepare with calm, maybe the day before, letting the house fill with fragrance and waiting being part of the result.
- Difficulty: Very Difficult
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 17 Hours
- Preparation time: 18 Hours
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, New Year's Eve
Ingredients
For a 1 kg mold
- 2 oz water
- 12 g fresh yeast
- 100 g flour 0
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 1.7 oz water
- 1 oz honey
- 6 g salt
- 2 oranges (grated zest)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 400 g Manitoba flour (High protein)
- 2 eggs
- 3 yolks
- 200 butter
Tools
- 1 Pandoro Mold
- 1 Kitchen Robot Monsieur Cuisine Smart
- 1 Knife
- 1 Rack
- Plastic Wrap
Steps
Prepare the butter in chunks and leave it out of the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. When it’s time to add it to the bowl, it should be soft, like a pomade, easily workable with fingers.
The butter should not be melted, as it would alter the structure of the dough and compromise the success of the pandoro.
Place the water and fresh yeast in the bowl.
Set to 40 seconds, 98°F, speed 2.
Add the flour and mix for 30 seconds, speed 2.
Open the bowl, gather the dough, form a ball, and make a cross on the surface with a knife. Put the dough back in the bowl, close, and let it rise until it triples in volume.
Don’t look at the clock, look at the dough. It should be well-risen and soft.Once tripled, add to the bowl:
the sugar, the water, the honey, the salt, the grated orange zest (just the orange part), and the vanilla extract. (Alternatively, vanilla bean or vanilla powder is fine).
Mix for 1 minute, speed 3.Add the Manitoba flour and some of the eggs.
Start the soft dough mode for 2 minutes.
After the first few seconds, add the remaining eggs and let the machine work.After this part, let the machine rest for about ten minutes to avoid overheating.
Add the soft butter in pieces little by little through the hole in the bowl, starting the machine in soft dough mode, speed 2.
If not all the butter has been added, stop. Wait 20-30 minutes,
then start the soft dough mode, speed 2 again finishing the butter.
Meanwhile, between pauses, grease a 1 kg pandoro mold well.
The final dough should be:
smooth, glossy, and well-bound.
Better to extend the times than to stress the machine or overheat the dough.Transfer the dough to a slightly wet work surface (not floured).
Do some reinforcing folds by trying to stretch the dough and then taking the sides and bringing them to the center, then proceed with the rounding by rotating the dough laterally.
Place the dough in the mold with the folds facing up.
Cover with plastic wrap.Put the mold in a turned-off oven with a pot of hot water to create a warm and humid environment.
The leavening takes about 12-13 hours.
The dough should reach the center of the mold, up to the edge.
Do not rush this phase: it is crucial for the structure of the pandoro.Bake in a static oven:
356°F for 10 minutes
then 320°F for 35 minutes
Check the cooking with a long skewer: it should come out dry.Remove from the oven and leave the pandoro in the mold until it cools down.
Then invert the mold and let it cool on a rack for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Dust with powdered sugar only before serving.
Important Tips
Use really soft butter, not melted
Do not add flour to the work surface
Respect the machine’s pauses or it might overheat
If the dough seems “slow”, give it time
The long leavening is normal: it is not a mistake
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Dough too hot
Butter added all at once
Insufficient final leavening
Unmolding the pandoro while still warm
FAQ – Pandoro
Can I reduce the leavening times?
No, a soft pandoro requires long times. Shortening them will compromise the result.
What if the dough doesn’t rise to the edge?
Wait longer. Every environment has different times.
Can I use another mold?
Better not: the pandoro mold is designed for this amount and structure.
How long does it keep?
Well sealed, 3-4 days. You can also freeze it whole or in slices.
Homemade pandoro is one of those desserts that are not prepared just to eat but to experience. It requires time, attention, and patience, but it gives much more in return: fragrance in the house, anticipation, satisfaction, and that softness that only a respected dough can give.
This pandoro is not made to be perfect, it’s made to be shared, maybe sliced on Christmas morning, with a simple dusting of powdered sugar and the right people around the table. If you decide to try it, take your time, follow the steps calmly, and let the dough guide you.
Because in the end, the beauty of these desserts is not just the result, but the entire journey that leads there.
