Easter Pizza: the magic of yeast that gives energy!
Easter Pizza is one of those desserts that cannot be missing from the table during the holidays. It is a leavened cake that, at first glance, might seem “unpretentious” due to the simplicity of its ingredients, but it hides the secret of patience.
Its main characteristic is indeed the leavening, a bit long, but capable of giving immense satisfaction to those who have the patience to wait.
There is something that is not easy to explain to those who do not live cooking with passion: leavened desserts, while they rest and slowly swell until they reach the right size, seem to transmit positive energy to me.
It’s as if I could see the dough repaying me, minute after minute, for all the work I put into making it.
Seeing that golden dome growing in the oven is a magical moment.
I know some might find me a bit “crazy”, but I firmly believe that cooking is also made of these subtle emotions, of an invisible bond between us and what we prepare.
The result of this wait is a cake of sublime deliciousness.
This Easter Pizza remains extraordinarily soft for days; even if it dries slightly over time, it becomes simply perfect for breakfast, ideal to dunk in milk or coffee.
For this recipe I decided to make an “extra-large” version, using a pan about 11 in in diameter.
If you prefer smaller sizes, perhaps to give to friends and family, you can easily divide the dough and make two about 8 in pans.
On this occasion I got help from my trusty Panasonic Croustina, which I highly recommend to anyone who wants impeccable leavening with minimal effort.
All that’s left is for you to try making this dessert yourself.
Let yourself be infected by the positive energy of the yeast and bring a slice of pure softness to the table.
Let me know in the comments if, watching the dough rise, you also feel that wonderful sense of satisfaction that I do!
Calories about 620 per person
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 12 servings
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter
Ingredients for making Easter Pizza
- 3/4 cup water
- 0.35 oz fresh brewer's yeast (about 10 g)
- 2 1/6 cups Type 0 flour
- 5 medium eggs
- 1 7/8 cups granulated sugar
- 5 1/2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup Brandy
- 2 tbsp anise seeds
- 1 cup sultanas (raisins)
- 6 3/4 cups Type 0 flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp water
Tools
- 1 Baking pan non-stick oven pan
- 1 Pan about 11 in
Preparation of Easter Pizza
First of all, in a bowl put the yeast and the water and let it dissolve, then add the flour until you obtain a fairly loose batter.
Let it rise covered for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, take the raisins and soak them in hot water for at least 30 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Once the first rise has occurred, prepare the bread machine pan, insert the dough blade and pour in all the dry ingredients, then add the first risen dough and finally all the remaining ingredients.
Insert the pan into the bread machine and run the dough-only program, which for my Panasonic Croustina is button 17 and lasts 45 minutes.
If you have another machine, try to find a dough-only program for at least 30 minutes.
Run the machine and when it has finished kneading, let it rest with the machine turned off for at least 1 hour.
After that time, restart the machine, again button 17 dough-only for 2-3 minutes, just enough to knead a little more.
At this point prepare a large pan or two small greased and floured pans.
Transfer the dough to the large pan or to the two small ones, level the dough in the pan with wet hands and cover with plastic film for the final rise.
Let rise for 6 hours or overnight at room temperature.
When the rise is complete, brush the surface with the yolk beaten with a tablespoon of water and bake at 356°F for about 1 hour, checking the doneness.
When cooked, remove from the oven and let cool, then transfer to a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.
If desired, the recipe can easily be made by hand by working the dough well, or with a stand mixer.
If desired, the recipe can be easily made by hand by working the dough well, or with a stand mixer.
“Storage tip: to keep the Easter Pizza as soft as just baked, close it in a food-grade plastic bag while it’s still slightly warm.
It will retain all its natural moisture!”
