After the classic version of Crescia, let’s prepare the Easter cheese pizza together.
It is a traditional Marche recipe, typical of the Easter period but perfect all year round. It’s a very soft, fragrant, and tasty savory leavened pie. Very easy to prepare, so delicious that it will win you over!
If you’re thinking “it’s too difficult to prepare,” let me tell you right away that you’re wrong! This leavened pie is very easy to make and you don’t even need a stand mixer.
The cheese savory pie is also great for picnics and outings. It has a moist and very soft consistency and pairs with various types of cured meats. It stays soft for days if properly stored in food bags.
It can also be frozen, just cut it into slices first and store it in airtight containers or special bags.
The most gluttonous can customize this cheese pizza by adding small pieces of salami to the dough. Or you can try this other version of Easter pizza with cheese and salami, really excellent!
As always, I’ve talked too much!! Let’s see how to prepare the leavened cheese pie with step-by-step photos.
Don’t miss these suggestions for a lick-the-plate-clean Easter!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: about 15-20 people
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Easter
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour (2 cups all-purpose flour + 2 cups Manitoba flour)
- 4 eggs (medium whole)
- 3.5 oz vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup milk (whole or partially skimmed)
- 3.5 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 3.2 oz Pecorino cheese
- 3.5 oz Emmentaler cheese
- 1.25 tsp salt
- to taste black peppercorns
- 0.5 oz fresh baker's yeast (or 0.15 oz of dried yeast)
Tools
- Mold
- Pastry Board
- Ladle
- Bowl
Steps
In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the dry baker’s yeast and two teaspoons of sugar, mix well.
Some dry yeasts dissolve in liquids just like fresh ones.
Others mix directly with the flour, and I prefer this type of dehydrated yeast.
The usage difference is described on all packages, so READ the instructions before use.
Those who prefer can use fresh baker’s yeast, which should be dissolved in lukewarm (NOT HOT) milk first.
Form a well in the center and break the medium whole eggs into it.
Add the vegetable oil, milk, and mix with a fork or ladle.
Incorporate the grated Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses and pepper. Mix again.
Add the salt only when the mixture starts to thicken.
Do not add it before this step as the salt would block the rising process.
Mix a little more in the bowl and then pour everything onto a pastry board.
Dust the surface with flour and knead the dough for a few minutes.
You should obtain a slightly moist but NON-STICKY ball.
Place the obtained dough in a 1 kg paper mold for panettone, or two 500 g ones.
Take the Emmentaler cheese and cut it into vertical sticks.
Place them on the surface of the savory pie, pushing them slightly inward.
The cheese pieces should protrude, so don’t worry if they don’t sink into the dough.
Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and let rise for 4-5 hours in the oven turned off with the light on.
After the time has passed, the cheese pizza will have almost reached the edge of the mold.
Turn on the oven, static mode, to 340°F, and once the temperature is reached, bake.
Cook the Easter cheese pizza for about an hour, keeping it covered on top.
For the last 15 minutes, remove the parchment paper to brown the surface.
Perform the toothpick test, and if it is done, remove it from the oven and place it on a wire rack with a sheet of absorbent paper.
This way, the moisture will be absorbed.
Once it’s cold, cut the cheese pie and serve it with various cold cuts.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Bon appétit to everyone!
