Pandoro Recipe

Pandoro is a traditional Italian sweet bread, typically enjoyed during the Christmas season. It has a light, fluffy texture and is often shaped like an eight-pointed star. The name “pandoro” translates to “golden bread,” reflecting its golden appearance. It’s dusted with powdered sugar to enhance its sweetness and is commonly served as a festive dessert in Italy.

I’m using 1kg pandoro mold, and providing the exact amount to fill this mold.  If you need more or less dough, just act accordingly.

Biga 

• 250g strong flour 
• 125g water
• 1g dry instant yeast

First dough 

• 60g  strong panettone flour
• 80g sugar 
• 90g  1 egg+ 3yolks
• 100g soft butter
• 1g dry instant yeast

Second dough

• 70g strong panettone flour
• 1g instant dry yeast
• 10g water
• 5g salt
• 40g yolks 
• 70g sugar
• 100g soft butter 
• 15g honey
• 5g Vanilla paste

Directions

Night before

Prepare biga

• Pour water into the bowl, dissolve yeast in it. 
• Add flour. Knead with your hands. Doughs has to remain lumpy.
• Form a ball, do a cross shaped cut on top, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let ferment for 12-14 hours at 72-76F.

Next morning

First dough

• Biga has to become bigger and lighter.
• Using paddle attachment start mixing biga with yolks, yeast, sugar and flour on low speed for 2-5 min, then increase the speed to medium, continue mixing for 7-10 more minutes until all dough will start to wrap around paddle.
• Add soft butter, keep kneading on medium speed for 7-10 min until dough will wrap the paddle, and the bowl will become clean.
• Dough has to become strong. Not sticky.
• Note: important to not overheating the dough. Check the temperature, it has to be under 80F/27C. If it’s getting too warm, put ice packs under the bowl during mixing.

• Transfer the dough to container, cover and let ferment at 28-30C for 3-4 hours. During that time dough has to rise 3 times (3x)
• When dough have risen, transfer it to the fridge for 30 min to chill.
• Meanwhile measure all the ingredients for second dough.

Second dough

• Mix first dough with flour on low speed for 3-5 minutes.
• Add sugar, knead on slow speed for 3-5 minutes. Dough should look strong and shiny.
• Add soft butter, increase the speed to medium, keep kneading 3-5 min, until all butter will be incorporated and dough will start to wrap the paddle.
• Add yolks and yeast, increase the speed to medium, continue kneading for 3-5 minutes, until well incorporated.
• Add honey and salt, keep kneading 5-7 minutes. Dough should look strong and wrap paddle attachment.
• Note: keep monitoring the temperature of the dough. It shouldn’t go higher 80F/27C

Preshaping and shaping 

• Turn the dough onto well buttered surface. 
• Preshape the dough , creating tight ball. Let rest uncovered for 20 min.
• Meanwhile prepare pandoro mold, by spraying it with nonstick oil.
• Note: The amount of this dough should be around 950. Which will be enough to fill 1 pandoro mold ( 1000g )
• Shape the dough by creating a tight ball. Place it into the pandoro mold.
• Let proof for 4-6 hours, until dough will reach 5cm from the top of the mold at 30C.
• Bake at 350F for 30 min, lower temperature to 330F, cover the top of pandoro with foil, continue baking for 25-30 more minutes until internal temperature will reach 99F.
• Remove pandoro from the oven, let rest in mold for 20 min, shake well and flip it upside down. Let cool off completely, sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy.

If you feel that you need additional information on how to prepare stiff starter (lievito madre) from scratch with only apples, water and flour, how to properly mix the ingredients, or want to review detailed step by step video instructions on this topic please consider my Pandoro Panettone Course.