We continue to share interesting and unusual recipes for Easter. And this time we will talk again about Italian pastries, namely Colombe. But unlike Panettone from the previous recipe, Italians prepare Colomba specifically for the bright holiday of Easter. So, let's take a closer look:
Colomba recipe
Servings: 6
Calorie content: 304 kcal/100g
Cooking time: 240 minutes
Cooking difficulty: medium
Ingredients:
- 280 g flour
- 120 ml milk
- 80 g melted butter
- 3 eggs
- 150 g sugar
- 15 g compressed yeast
- 70 g raisins
- 70 g almonds
- 1 orange
- 1 lemon
- 1 packet of vanillin
- pinch of salt
- flour for the work surface
- butter for lubricating the mold
Colomba recipe step by step:
- Prepare the pre-dough: add a pinch of salt to warm milk, 1 tbsp sugar, yeast and mix well. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
- Pour boiling water over the raisins for 10 minutes, remove and dry.
- Grate the lemon and orange zest and squeeze out the juice.
- In a bowl, beat 1 yolk and 2 eggs until smooth. Add citrus zest and juice, 3 tbsp sugar, vanilla, a pinch of salt and mix well.
- Sift flour onto a work surface, make a well and pour in the dough. Add the egg mixture, melted butter and raisins. Stir for about 10 minutes until smooth.
- Place in a warm place for 2 hours. During this time, you need to knead the dough twice.
- Grease the mold with butter and lay out the dough. Leave in a warm place again for half an hour, the dough should rise.
Tip: classic Colomba is baked in the shape of a dove (after all, “Colomba” means “dove” in Italian) or a cross; if there is no special mold, you can make it yourself from foil.
- To prepare the glaze you will need the remaining white of 1 egg, 2 tbsp sugar and almonds. Grind half the almonds. Beat the egg white and sugar into a strong foam and mix with chopped almonds.
- Brush the Colomba with glaze and sprinkle with the remaining almonds.
Note: the original Colomba is glazed before baking, but you can do it after if you like.
- Bake for 50 minutes. – 1 hour, at a temperature of 160 degrees. If necessary, the top of the Easter cake can be covered with foil if it starts to fry.
- Remove the finished Colomba from the oven and let cool.
Note: to properly cool Colomba, you need to pierce the bottom of the Easter cake with wooden skewers on both sides, turn it upside down and place it suspended, for example, between two tall bowls or containers so that the top does not touch the table. This way the Easter cake will not sag under its own weight and will remain soft and airy.
