Christmas Tree Sweet and Savory Danube with a Single Dough
If at Christmas you have little time to dedicate to the Christmas menu and still want to impress your guests by enriching your table in a scenic way with Christmas-themed recipes, don’t miss this recipe!
With a single dough from my foolproof and super soft Danube (a famous leavened product from the Neapolitan cuisine) you can create two Christmas trees: one savory (with cold cuts and cheese) that serves as a Christmas appetizer and one sweet (with Nutella, jam, or custard) and you will make a great impression on your guests.
It’s a very convenient recipe for Christmas because my Danube is super soft, and it stays that way for several days, so you can prepare the two Danube Christmas trees (sweet and savory) even the day before and have them ready to serve the next day.
Save this practical double recipe which is very convenient: with a single dough, you get two courses, a Christmas appetizer, and a Christmas dessert!
This Christmas Danube recipe is perfect, and super tested, making it ideal even for less experienced cooks, also because I guide you step by step.
If you want to create other Christmas menus, look for other recipes (sweet and/or savory) in my “Christmas/New Year’s Special“.
If you love brioches and savory leavened products, also take a look at my Special: “Rustic Brioches and Savory Leavened Products“
You might also be interested in:
- Salmon with Pink Pepper and Dill. Quick Christmas Appetizer, Ready in 5 Minutes
- Tagliolini Pie with Fontina and Peas without Béchamel.
- Salmon and Robiola Roll. Easy and Tasty Recipe.
- Fuchsia Farfalle with Beetroot and Cream. Easy and Quick Recipe.
- Veal Roast with Milk, Extremely Tender. Family Recipe.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for Christmas Tree Sweet and Savory Danube with a Single Dough
- 280 g Manitoba flour (I use Caputo)
- 270 g all-purpose flour
- 1 cup ml whole milk
- 25 g fresh yeast
- 1 egg (whole)
- 3 1/2 tbsp ml vegetable oil
- 10 g fine salt
- 40 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk (to brush on the surface)
- 1 1/3 tbsp ml whole milk (to brush on the surface)
- 150 g scamorza cheese (cubed, or emmental)
- 100 g Neapolitan salami (cubed)
- 100 g cooked ham (cubed)
- 4 slices of cheese
- q.b. green olives (for decoration, optional)
- q.b. cherry tomatoes (for decoration, optional)
- leaves basil (for decoration, optional)
- 200 g Nutella® (or jam or thick custard)
- q.b. sugar (in stars for decoration, optional)
- q.b. sugar (in grains for decoration, optional)
Tools
- Stand mixer Kenwood 1400 W of power, illuminated bowl
- Bowls
- Knife
- Teaspoon
- Brush for food
- 2 Molds Christmas tree
Steps for Christmas Tree Sweet and Savory Danube with a Single Dough
For the unique dough process for the two Danube Christmas trees (sweet and savory) see my Danube recipe (using the quantities indicated above in this recipe).
Once you have prepared the UNIQUE dough of the Danube, weigh 10 pieces of dough of about 40 g each and 1 piece of 70 g for the base of the tree.
Flatten the dough by hand (NO rolling pin) and fill with the filling: emmental (or scamorza) and salami or cooked ham wrapped in the cheese slice and close this way: pull one edge to the center from above, then the sides and the other edge from below and pinch at the center to close well and seal.
Place the balls in the disposable Christmas tree-shaped mold, do not worry if you notice gaps between one ball and another, during rising and baking they will attach to each other (see photo below) and let rise for another hour and 30 minutes, at the end of the second rise brush the surface with the yolk mixed with 20 ml milk.
Before rising
After rising
Once you have prepared the UNIQUE dough of the Danube, weigh 10 pieces of dough of about 40 g each and 1 piece of 70 g for the base of the tree.
Put the Nutella in the fridge, it will help you to fill the balls for sweet Danube with Nutella (but, as I wrote above, you can also fill it with jam or thick custard)
Flatten the dough by hand (NO rolling pin) fill it with a teaspoon of hardened Nutella from the fridge and close it this way: pull one edge to the center from above, then the sides and the other edge from below and pinch at the center to close well and seal.
Place the balls in the disposable Christmas tree-shaped mold and let rise for another hour and 30 minutes, at the end of the second rise brush the surface with the yolk mixed with 20 ml milk and the sugar star sprinkles.
Before rising
After rising
At the end of the second rise, bake both Danube Christmas trees (sweet and savory) at 356°F, for about 30-40 minutes.
Once both Danube trees (sweet and savory) are cooked, proceed to finish them with Christmas decorations (as in the photo or as your imagination inspires you).
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Shopping Tips!!!
To knead perfectly and conveniently, I also often use my Kenwood Titanium Chef Patissier XL stand mixer with illuminated 7L bowl, integrated scale, and blender and 1400 W of power, a faithful ally in the kitchen for: kneading, weighing, whipping, melting chocolate, pasteurizing eggs.
If you’re looking for a more economical and smaller stand mixer, you can safely choose to purchase Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker, with double bowl 5L and 3.5L, 1200W of power.
To give the Danube the shape of a Christmas Tree, I bought these 2 Christmas Tree molds made of sturdy disposable parchment paper 25x32cm (max dough quantity 900g).
You can purchase all the items I recommend above, on Amazon, at a great price, just click directly on the respective links.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What is Danube?
Danube is a brioche from the Neapolitan tradition, made up of soft balls filled with ham and cheese, very practical, as each guest must pull off their piece of brioche by hand (appropriately supplied with a paper napkin)! For this reason, it is often prepared for standing buffets. Initially, it was mainly a savory bake, but the dough is so good and soft that there is also the sweet version of Danube (filled with spread, jam, etc.).
Why is it called Danube?
According to some, the shape of this leavened product resembles the waves of the Danube, while others believe it was named by the aunt of a Neapolitan pastry chef (the famous Scaturchio) who lived in Austria, where there is the buchteln, an Austrian sweet leavened product that presents the same characteristics as the Neapolitan one, later transformed into the savory version.
Can Danube be frozen?
Yes! Once cooked Danube can be frozen (either whole or in pieces). To consume it, it should be left to thaw at room temperature and then heated for a few minutes in the oven.
How many days does Danube last?
Danube can be stored at room temperature wrapped in food film for at least 3 days (but even longer because it is super soft).
