Low Pandolce from Old Genoa, in the dialect Pandùçe, is the typical Christmas dessert from Genoa, but please, don’t call it panettone! Actually, true Genoese Pandolce is made with yeast or sourdough, but in the 1950s, for the need for a quicker preparation, the recipe without yeast was dubbed “ancient.” In ancient tradition, on Christmas Day, Pandolce was cut with a bay leaf twig, a symbol of luck and well-being, and was also baked with a bay leaf placed on top. Some recipes include hazelnuts, but they are not part of the traditional ingredients of pandolce. A memory from my tradition? Grandma Agnese from San Martino di Struppa used to save a slice of Pandùçe to share among everyone on St. Blaise’s Day, the protector of the throat, on February 3rd.
Recipe dated 11/06/2016 updated
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8 People
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Liguria
- Seasonality: Christmas, New Year
- Energy 538.77 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 79.53 (g) of which sugars 35.54 (g)
- Proteins 8.51 (g)
- Fat 23.43 (g) of which saturated 8.15 (g)of which unsaturated 13.91 (g)
- Fibers 3.93 (g)
- Sodium 85.71 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 126 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 1 Pandolce of 1 kg
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (keep 1 tbsp. for the pastry board)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 7 tbsp butter
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp lemon zest (grated)
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (crushed if preferred)
- 1 cup raisins
- 5 tsp Marsala wine (to soak the raisins)
- 2/3 cup candied oranges (cubed)
- 2/3 cup candied citron (cubed)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 tsp orange blossom water (present in the traditional recipe)
- 2/3 cup toasted hazelnuts (if you like them, I didn't include them)
Tools
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Pastry board
- 2 Bowls
- Parchment paper
Steps
Preheat the static oven to 350°F
Place candied fruit, pine nuts, crushed fennel seeds, and the raisins previously soaked in Marsala, squeezed, and dried in a bowl. Hazelnuts are not included in traditional pandolce, but if you like them, add them; I didn’t include them this time. Mix and flour with a tablespoon of flour taken from the 300 grams. In another bowl, combine the sugar with softened butter and add the whole egg plus the yolk.
Add the grated lemon zest, orange blossom water (I don’t like it, so I use very little), salt, mix and combine everything together. Sift the flour with the baking powder on the pastry board and pour the mixture into the center.
Quickly knead and form a ball, sprinkling the base with the 10 g. of flour. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the baking tray, place the pandolce on it, flattening it slightly with your hands until it is about 2 inches high. With a knife or spatula, make a lattice or triangle pattern on the surface. Bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F and cook for 40–45 minutes, checking. Turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar for 5 minutes. Remove the Low Pandolce from Old Genoa and let it cool on a wire rack to release moisture. Pandolce tastes much better the next day.
Storage
The Low Pandolce from Old Genoa can be prepared a few days before Christmas, and once it’s cool and dry, it should be stored in a bag.
FAQs
Don’t like candied fruit?
You can use more raisins and pine nuts or chocolate chips, walnuts, hazelnuts.
Should pandolce be baked in a pan?
No, it should be baked directly on the oven tray
