![\"Colomba](\"https:\/\/adribarrcrocetti.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/ColombadiPasqua01-594x640-0920_589.jpg\" "\\"Colomba")
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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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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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. 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Colomba di Pasqua – Steps<\/em><\/p>\n Combine sponge, flour, salt, yeast, sugar, eggs, yolks and flavorings.<\/p>\n Add soft butter, tablespoon by tablespoon, and beat to incorporate.<\/p>\n Place dough in greased bowl and cover with plastic.<\/p>\n Let rise until doubled.<\/p>\n Turn dough onto floured board.<\/p>\n Distribute dried fruit over dough.<\/p>\n Use a bench scraper to lift and turn dough and incorporate fruit.<\/p>\n Divide dough in half. Divide each piece in two pieces, one slightly larger than the other and form into 2 cylinders.<\/p>\n Place pieces in mold.<\/p>\n Allow dough to rise until almost doubled.<\/p>\n Paint gently with topping.<\/p>\n Sprinkle liberally with pearl sugar.<\/p>\n Place on middle rack of preheated oven.<\/p>\n When done, remove from oven, and place on rack to cool.<\/p>\n 2 paper dove molds 10 3\/4″ X 7 3\/4″ X 1 3\/4″<\/p>\n Sponge<\/em> Topping<\/em> Dough<\/em> Make sponge<\/em> Make topping<\/em> Make bread<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n Grease a large bowl with butter. Pour dough into bowl. Cover with plastic and set aside to rise 3 hours, until doubled.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Set one aside. Divide 1 piece of dough into a 9 inch cylinder and 6 inch cylinder.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Thirty minutes prior to baking make topping. Place rack in middle of oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F.<\/p>\n When bread has risen, paint top generously, but gently with topping. Sprinkle pearl sugar over dough.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Remove from oven and cool on racks.<\/p>\n Paper dove molds<\/a> and Fiori di Sicilia<\/a> are available from Golda’s Kitchen<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fiori di Sicilia<\/a>, pearl sugar<\/a> and SAF Gold Yeast<\/a> are available from Amazon.<\/p>\n<\/a>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.<\/p>\n
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\nThis 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.<\/p>\n
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Make sponge
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<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nColomba di Pasqua<\/em><\/h4>\n
makes 2 loaves<\/h6>\n
\n1 cup lukewarm water (90 to 100 degrees F.)
\n1\/2 teaspoon SAF Gold Instant Yeast
\n1 cup bread flour
\n1 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour OR unbleached all-purpose flour<\/p>\n
\n2 large egg whites, reserved from dough
\n1\/4 cup sliced almonds
\n3\/4 cup granulated sugar
\n2 -3 tablespoons Swedish pearl sugar<\/p>\n
\n2 1\/2 – 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
\n1 1\/2 teaspoons kosher salt
\n1 tablespoon SAF Gold instant yeast
\n1\/2 cup cane sugar
\n6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft, cut in tablespoon size pieces
\n2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks, whites reserved
\n1\/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia OR 1 tablespoon vanilla extract plus zest of 1 large orange
\n1 3\/4 cup dried fruit, such as golden raisins, currants, cherries, chopped apricots<\/p>\n
\nCombine yeast and flours. Add water and stir to combine. Cover tightly with plastic and set aside 4 hours until almost doubled.<\/p>\n
\nWhen 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.<\/p>\n
\nFit 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.<\/p>\n
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