Pandoro Cake

Before starting this Pandoro Cake recipe, make sure you have organised all the necessary ingredients.

Step 1: Pour the warm milk over the fresh yeast.

Combine with a whisk until dissolved completely. Make sure the milk isn't too hot, as it may kill the yeast.

Add one tablespoon of castor sugar...

... and one egg yolk. Combine.

Add 50 grams of flour and combine until it forms a soft dough.

Cover with a cloth and leave to prove in a warm room, until the dough has doubled in volume. Let rise for at least one hour.

Step 2: When the dough has doubled in volume, remove the cloth.

Dissolve 3 grams of fresh yeast with 3 tablespoons of milk (at room temperature).

Add 100 grams of castor sugar...

... and one whole egg.

Combine the ingredients.

Pour the yeast preparation over the dough.

Add 200 grams of flour and combine well with a spatula.

Add 30 grams of soft butter.

Combine until the dough is smooth.

Scrape the dough that is stuck on the sides of the bowl...

... and cover with a tea towel. Leave to prove in a warm room, until the dough has doubled in volume.

Let rise for at least one hour.

Step 3: When the dough has doubled in volume, add 200 grams of flour...

... 2 whole eggs, 25 grams of castor sugar...

... a pinch of salt and 3 cl of liquid (or the seeds of a vanilla pod).

Combine all ingredients with a spatula.

Scrape the dough that is stuck on the sides of the bowl...

... and cover with a tea towel. Leave to prove in a warm room, until the dough has doubled in volume.

When doubled in volume...

... knock the dough back with the palm of your hand.

Scrape the dough from the sides of the bowl and cover with cling film.

Store in the fridge overnight.

The following day, remove the dough from the fridge. Despite being in the fridge, the dough should have risen. This is totally normal!

Knock the dough back and transfer onto a floured kitchen worktop.

Roll out to a square (30 x 30cm), using a rolling pin.

Using a palette knife, spread the soft butter into a thin layer.

Fold the four corners towards the centre...

... making sure the edges join.

Roll out the dough into a rectangular strip...

... making sure the butter is not coming out from the sides.

Give the dough a quarter-turn (anticlockwise). Fold the dough into thirds (same method as puff pastry). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough...

... into a rectangle.

Give the dough a quarter-turn (anticlockwise). Fold the dough into thirds (same method as puff pastry). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry again, lengthwise.

Give the dough a quarter-turn (anticlockwise). Fold the dough into thirds (same method as puff pastry). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out to a square (30 x 30cm).

Fold the four corners towards the centre.

Repeat the operation, folding the four corners towards the centre again.

Flip the dough square...

... and gently shape it into a ball.

Grease a pandoro cake tin with oil or cooking spray.

Place the dough ball at the bottom of the mould...

... and push it down.

Leave to prove in a warm room.

Cover with a cloth until the dough has risen up to the top of the pan. Depending on the temperature, this operation should take between 1 and 2 hours.

Remove the cloth has almost reached the top of the mould, and leave to prove with no cover. This prevents the cloth from sticking to the dough and ruining the surface of the pandoro.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (gas 3) and bake for 15 minutes. Place a bowl filled with hot water at the back of the oven.

Reduce the heat to 160°C and bake for a further 30 minutes.

To check whether the pandoro is cooked, insert the blade of a knife in the centre. When you take it out, nothing should stick to the blade.

When cooked, remove from the oven.

Gently release from the tin while it is still hot...

... and leave to cool.

When cooled down completely, drizzle icing sugar over the pandoro.