Colomba di Pasqua
Easter Dove Bread
Easter is almost here, and in my house that means it is time to bake Easter Dove Bread – Colomba di Pasqua. As Panettone is to Christmas, so this rich egg bread is to Easter. A traditional yeasted sweet bread, formed (more or less) in the shape of a dove, it is available in the days leading up to Holy Week.
History tells us this bread hails from Milan where, during the battle of Legnano in 1176, two doves alighted on the sacred Milanese carrocio (war chariot). The war chariot carried a massive crucifix dedicated to Saint George, patron saint of Milan, and the doves remained on the chariot until the armies of the Lombard League repulsed Federico Barbarossa, his knights and infantrymen. To honor the end of hostilities and the Treaty of Venice, the women of Milan baked this bread, and the tradition continues to this day.
Traditionally the bread is studded with candied orange peel, but I prefer using mixed dried fruit. I use a combination of dried Montmorency cherries, golden raisins, currants and chopped apricots. The Montmorency cherries really pack a delicious flavor punch, one rarely found in bread, so they are a real treat.
The bread itself is easy to work with once you get the hand of “slack” doughs. These are doughs that seem a bit wet, somewhat sticky and do not hold together in a ball when lifted from the board. You must knead in the fruit by hand; if you try to do it with the electric mixer, you are liable to pulverize the fruit. Kneading a wet dough by hand is easy with the use of a bench scraper, a metal pastry tool that is typically used to scrape a counter free of flour and bits of dough. To knead dough with it, just slide the bench scraper under the dough, picking up the dough mass as you work, using it to lift, spread and turn the dough. Two or three minutes of hand kneading is all you will need for this dough; most of the work will already have been accomplished in the stand mixer.
This bread is wonderful cut, and eaten plain. Although, as with almost everything, Bart says it is better with a bit of butter. It makes great toast, and positively stupendous French toast. You can also use slices of it for trifles or to line pudding molds.
I add Fiori di Sicilia, a potent mix of jasmine and orange floral notes, to my dough. If you have none, increase the vanilla to 1 tablespoon and add the grated zest of one large orange. When I make sweet yeast breads, I use SAF Gold Yeast. Here’s why: sugar is hygroscopic – it will suck up all the water it can find leaving little for the yeast and resulting in a slow rise. The yeast in SAF Gold is an osmotolerant strain that grabs less of the water. That means no thirsty yeast and a far more reasonable rise time.
Although you can shape this bread by hand, I prefer to use paper dove molds, available from Golda’s Kitchen. I call for Swedish pearl sugar, not Belgian. Swedish pearl sugar is finer, like small grains of rice, while Belgian is larger, almost chunky, like pieces of hail. Either will work, I just prefer the smaller pieces.
If you really want a truly luxurious, but not at all traditional Colomba, try 2 cups chopped dates and 3/4 cup toasted walnuts. I am not kidding. It is out of this world – but not for your Italian relatives.
Colomba di Pasqua – Steps
Make sponge
Combine sponge, flour, salt, yeast, sugar, eggs, yolks and flavorings.
Add soft butter, tablespoon by tablespoon, and beat to incorporate.
Place dough in greased bowl and cover with plastic.
Let rise until doubled.
Turn dough onto floured board.
Distribute dried fruit over dough.
Use a bench scraper to lift and turn dough and incorporate fruit.
Divide dough in half. Divide each piece in two pieces, one slightly larger than the other and form into 2 cylinders.
Place pieces in mold.
Allow dough to rise until almost doubled.
Paint gently with topping.
Sprinkle liberally with pearl sugar.
Place on middle rack of preheated oven.
When done, remove from oven, and place on rack to cool.
Colomba di Pasqua
makes 2 loaves
2 paper dove molds 10 3/4″ X 7 3/4″ X 1 3/4″
Sponge
1 cup lukewarm water (90 to 100 degrees F.)
1/2 teaspoon SAF Gold Instant Yeast
1 cup bread flour
1 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour OR unbleached all-purpose flour
Topping
2 large egg whites, reserved from dough
1/4 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 -3 tablespoons Swedish pearl sugar
Dough
2 1/2 – 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon SAF Gold instant yeast
1/2 cup cane sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft, cut in tablespoon size pieces
2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks, whites reserved
1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia OR 1 tablespoon vanilla extract plus zest of 1 large orange
1 3/4 cup dried fruit, such as golden raisins, currants, cherries, chopped apricots
Make sponge
Combine yeast and flours. Add water and stir to combine. Cover tightly with plastic and set aside 4 hours until almost doubled.
Make topping
When second rise is almost complete, place almonds and granulated sugar in workbowl of food processor and pulse until pulverized. Pour sugar and almond mixture in medium bowl and mix in egg whites. stirring to obtain a spreadable consistency. You may not need all the egg whites. Set aside.
Make bread
Fit stand mixer with paddle. Pour all of the sponge, 2 1/2 cups flour, salt, instant yeast, sugar eggs, egg yolks, Fiori di Sicilia and vanilla (and orange zest, if using) into bowl. Beat to combine. Add softened butter, piece by piece and beat until thoroughly combined.
Switch to dough hook, and knead 12 -14 minutes, adding additional flour (up to 1/2 cup) to make a shiny, elastic dough. Dough will not come together into a ball.
Grease a large bowl with butter. Pour dough into bowl. Cover with plastic and set aside to rise 3 hours, until doubled.
Place dough on lightly floured board. Press flat, and distribute dried fruit over dough. Using a bench scraper, lift and turn dough, kneading fruit in until thoroughly distributed throughout dough mass, about 3 minutes.
Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Set one aside. Divide 1 piece of dough into a 9 inch cylinder and 6 inch cylinder.
Place 9 inch piece in long section of Dove mold. Place shorter piece across the first, to fill all of the mold. Repeat with second piece and second mold.
Lightly butter two pieces of plastic wrap. Cover each filled mold with plastic, buttered side against dough. Set aside to rise 2 hours, until almost doubled.
Thirty minutes prior to baking make topping. Place rack in middle of oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F.
When bread has risen, paint top generously, but gently with topping. Sprinkle pearl sugar over dough.
Place in oven and bake 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake 25 minutes more. If bread browns too much, tent with aluminum foil for last 10 minutes baking time. Look for 190 degrees F. on an instant read thermometer when done.
Remove from oven and cool on racks.
Paper dove molds and Fiori di Sicilia are available from Golda’s Kitchen.
Fiori di Sicilia, pearl sugar and SAF Gold Yeast are available from Amazon.
Note: You can click on any picture for a larger image, and to see a slide show!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Thursday, March 29th 2012 at 3:27 pm |
The pictures with the rabbits are so cute. And, where did you get that great, plaid shirt?
OH, and the bread looks delicious.
Thursday, March 29th 2012 at 3:31 pm |
Dear Toni,
I am glad you like the rabs – as you can imagine, everyone wanted to get into the act. It was hard to choose who’d make the cut! The shirt came from, well, where do you think??? Target, of course. And I am glad you think the bread looks good. It is a fun one.
Friday, March 30th 2012 at 11:23 pm |
Non ho mai fatto la colomba in casa ma con queste precise spiegazioni sono molto invogliata, quasi quasi ci provo ! Bellissimo blog, complimenti!
Sunday, April 1st 2012 at 7:39 am |
Grazie!
Saturday, March 31st 2012 at 5:28 pm |
Sadly, I decided not to make colomba this year, but now I’m feeling like I need to change my mind after seeing yours. It looks absolutely perfect – and those bunnies on the dish towels are pretty darn adorable too.
Sunday, April 1st 2012 at 9:49 am |
Hi Linda,
I say get busy with some dough! What I particularly enjoy is that Colomba is one of those special holiday specific items – a once a year special. And people always love it. I hope I have inspired you! Buona Pasqua!
Tuesday, April 3rd 2012 at 2:19 am |
It looks exactly like the ones you buy in the supermarkets here – and that’s praise. I really must try this, but how did you get hold of the mold?
Tuesday, April 3rd 2012 at 2:43 pm |
HI Mette,
The molds can be a bit elusive – sometimes a friendly baker will slip you a few – a very friendly baker. The paper molds are available from Golda’s Kitchen in Canada though. Check out their website to order. I hope you try this. It is fun and everyone always enjoys it.
Friday, April 6th 2012 at 7:49 pm |
Bravissima! Hai fatto un capolavoro, Adri. Ive never made la colomba di pasqua. Thanks for posting the recipe with all the step-by-step photos. Buona Pasqua!
Saturday, April 7th 2012 at 7:59 am |
Ciao Domenica,
Grazie! What very kind words, and quite a compliment coming from you. I am really flattered. I always enjoy this one. And this year was a special treat since I have never posted about it before. Thanks for stopping by and Buona Pasqua to you and yours!
Wednesday, April 16th 2014 at 7:59 am |
I had to come look at this again, you’re amazing Adri, I don’t think I could ever pull this off! I’m actually going down to Eataly Chicago tomorrow with a friend to pick one up, I wish I had yours!
Wednesday, April 16th 2014 at 8:55 am |
Hi Marie,
Oh, of course you could make the bread! I have no doubt about it. See, this is where being neighbors would be so cool. We could do all sorts of projects together. Working with others is fun, and as part of a group, one reaps the benefit of lots of ideas, tips, tricks and everyone’s unique skills and talents. Also partnering reduces the intimidation factor to zero. I always enjoy it. Maybe we ought to do some sort of cook along – we need to think about that. It might be a hoot!
How fortunate you are to be so close to Eataly. I am terrifically envious. We do not have one here in Los Angeles, although rumors of an opening are rife. I hope they find a location and open a store. It seems like a natural. Buona Pasqua!
Wednesday, April 16th 2014 at 6:09 pm |
Just beautiful, Adri! I’m sharing this in my Easter round up on the blog xox
Wednesday, April 16th 2014 at 7:06 pm |
Hi Lizzy,
Thanks – what an honor. To be included in one of your round ups is to be in some very fine company indeed! Happy Easter to you!
Tuesday, April 18th 2017 at 2:03 pm |
Hi, I am writing to you from Spain, this year, looking once more for recipes for Colomba di Pasqua, I found yours. It is excellent, the best I found ever, it turned out very well. I published your website in my own blog, that’s how much I liked it. Thanks Adri, for sharing it, I know it’s been a few years, but never mind.
Veronika
Saturday, April 29th 2017 at 11:54 am |
Ciao Veronika,
From Spain! How exciting. I am so glad that you made the Colomba. I think it is my favorite celebration bread. I never did get around to making one this year. Somehow Easter just came and went all too quickly! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a terrific time in Spain.
Wednesday, May 3rd 2017 at 1:52 am |
Hey Adri
Today I am starting Vitello tonnato, if it turns out well, I’ll publish it on my blog. Enjoyed your reply, be well
Veronika
Tuesday, May 9th 2017 at 5:15 pm |
Ciao Veronika,
What a classic. I bet your version will be wonderful, and I can’t wait to see your post. Un abbraccio forte!