Aquilana Easter Pizza: the original Abruzzo recipe with the scent of yesteryear.
If you asked me which recipe, among all those on my blog, ranks first for softness and flavor, I would have no doubts: the Aquilana Easter Pizza.
Typical of the L’Aquila area, this Abruzzo variant is a true leavening miracle.
It is that sweet that cannot be missing from the Easter breakfast table, capable of winning you over at the first bite thanks to a texture so cloud-like it almost seems unreal.
One of the characteristics that makes this pizza really special is its ability to stay perfect for several days.
Often homemade leavened goods tend to dry out quickly, but the Aquilana version remains moist and fragrant for a long time.
My trick? Once cooled, wrap it first in a sheet of parchment paper or absorbent paper (to prevent moisture from ruining the shiny crust) and then close it in a plastic or paper bag.
This way you’ll have a dream breakfast for the whole Holy Week!
As with any respectable leavened product, the Aquilana Easter Pizza requires its hours of waiting. You must give the yeast time to do its magic, but for those, like me, deeply in love with baking, this is not a burden.
Watching the dough transform, swell and finally brown in the oven, releasing that heavenly aroma, is a satisfaction that is priceless.
A guaranteed success at the table!
If you decide to make it for Easter Day, be ready to receive a shower of compliments.
It is a showy sweet, beautiful to look at with its browned dome and colorful sugar sprinkles, but even better to eat.
You will look splendid with friends and relatives, bringing to the table the authentic taste of the Abruzzo mountains.
Try my recipe and let me know if you also think this pizza beats all the others in terms of softness.
I look forward to the photos of your masterpieces!
Calories about 1590 per large pizza

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Inexpensive
Rest time: 6 Hours
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Cooking time: 35 Minutes
Portions: 4 large pizzas or 5 medium
Cooking methods: Electric oven
Cuisine: Italian Regional
Region: Abruzzo
Seasonality: Easter

Ingredients to make the Aquilana Easter Pizza

1 cup + 2 tsp (250 ml) water
2 cups (240 g) type 0 flour
1/2 tsp (fresh yeast, 5 g) fresh yeast
pre-ferment (lievitino)
3 medium eggs (medium)
2/3 cup (150 ml / ~5 fl oz) whole milk
1 cup (about 190 g / 6.7 oz) sugar
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
5 tbsp (75 ml) sunflower oil (or corn oil)
1 tbsp (15 ml) rum
1 tsp liquid vanilla
1/2 tsp (fresh yeast, 5 g) fresh yeast
7.6 oz (215 g) potatoes (weight raw without peel)
4 tbsp (~60 g) butter (or soft margarine)
colored sugar sprinkles
1/3 cup (100 ml) water
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

Tools

Baking trays

Preparation of the Aquilana Easter Pizza

The dough can be made either by hand or with a stand mixer; of course, by hand it will take a lot more time and elbow grease.
First of all prepare the pre-ferment: in a bowl put the water and the yeast, dissolve it and then add the flour, mixing well.
You will get a thick batter, and that’s how it should be!
Let it rise until doubled, about 2-3 hours.
Meanwhile, peel and wash the potatoes, cut them into pieces and put them in a small pot with water to boil.
Next, in the stand mixer put the risen pre-ferment, the eggs, the sugar, the cold or room temperature milk, crumble in the fresh yeast, mash the boiled potatoes with a potato ricer, add them to the other ingredients and start kneading.
Then add the grated zest of a lemon and an orange, the seed oil, the softened butter or margarine, the rum, the liquid vanilla and half of the flour.
Knead for a few minutes, then add the remaining flour and knead again for at least 15-20 minutes.
When the dough is finished, transfer everything to a large bowl dusting the base of the bowl with flour, then place the dough inside and dust the surface of the dough as well.
With your hands, directly inside the bowl shape the dough into a ball, then flatten it and cover the bowl with cling film.
Leave to rise until doubled; here it will take from 3 to 6 hours, it all depends on whether you use less yeast or more than I wrote.
Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface, divide the dough into 4 pieces to obtain large pizzas or into 5 if you want smaller ones; I made them in different sizes because I had to give some away.
Once divided, shape each piece into a loaf and place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, flatten them a little and let them rise until doubled.
Once risen, bake in the oven at 338°F (170°C) for 35-45 minutes; baking time will vary depending on the size of the pizzas.
While the pizzas are baking, prepare the syrup to use after baking by putting in a small saucepan 1/3 cup of water and 3/4 cup of sugar, dissolve everything over the heat and once it reaches a boil, leave it for two more minutes and then turn off the heat.
As soon as the first Easter pizza is out of the oven, brush it with the sugar syrup and then sprinkle it with colored sugar sprinkles.
Do the same with all the pizzas, let them cool and enjoy.