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.

Traditional Italian Pandoro

3877kcal

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Prep 1 hour hr

Cook 55 minutes mins

Night Before (Biga Fermentation) 12 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total 1 day d

A traditional Italian holiday sweet bread baked in an eight-pointed star mold. Features a light, cloud-like brioche texture enriched with butter, sugar, and egg yolks, built across a three-stage fermentation process and finished with powdered sugar.

Servings 1 Pandoro Loaf (1000 g mold / ~950 g dough)

Cuisine Italian (Veronese)

Ingredients

1x2x3x

Stage 1 — Overnight Biga

• ▢ 250 g Strong bread flour
• ▢ 125 g Water
• ▢ 1 g Instant dry yeast

Stage 2 — First Dough

• ▢ All of the Overnight Biga
• ▢ 60 g Strong panettone flour
• ▢ 80 g Sugar
• ▢ 90 g Egg blend (1 whole egg + 3 yolks)
• ▢ 100 g Soft unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 g Instant dry yeast

Stage 3 — Second Dough

• ▢ All of the Chilled First Dough
• ▢ 70 g Strong panettone flour
• ▢ 1 g Instant dry yeast
• ▢ 10 g Water
• ▢ 5 g Fine salt
• ▢ 40 g Egg yolks
• ▢ 70 g Sugar
• ▢ 100 g Soft unsalted butter
• ▢ 15 g Honey
• ▢ 5 g Vanilla paste

Finishing

• ▢ Powdered sugar for dusting

Equipment

• ▢
  Digital Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Stand Mixer with paddle attachment
• ▢
  1kg Star-Shaped Pandoro Mold
• ▢
  Digital Instant-Read Thermometer
• ▢
  Ice Packs to place under mixer bowl to prevent dough from exceeding 80°F / 27°C

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

1. Night Before: Prepare Biga

1. Dissolve 1 g instant yeast in 125 g water. Add 250 g strong flour and knead by hand. The dough should remain lumpy.
2. Form into a ball, cut a cross on top, cover, and let ferment for 12–14 hours at 72–76°F (22–24°C).

2. Next Morning: First Dough

1. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine biga, egg blend (90 g), 1 g yeast, 80 g sugar, and 60 g panettone flour. Mix on low for 2–5 minutes, then medium for 7–10 minutes until dough wraps around the paddle.
2. Add 100 g soft butter. Knead on medium speed for 7–10 minutes until fully incorporated, smooth, non-sticky, and cleaning the bowl sides. (Keep internal dough temp under 80°F / 27°C using ice packs if needed).
3. Transfer to a container, cover, and let rise at 28–30°C for 3–4 hours until tripled in volume.
4. Chill container in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. Second Dough

1. Mix chilled first dough with 70 g panettone flour on low speed for 3–5 minutes.
2. Add 70 g sugar and knead on low speed for 3–5 minutes until strong and shiny.
3. Add 100 g soft butter, increase to medium speed, and knead for 3–5 minutes until incorporated.
4. Add 40 g yolks and 1 g yeast, kneading on medium for 3–5 minutes.
5. Add 10 g water, 15 g honey, 5 g salt, and 5 g vanilla paste. Knead for 5–7 minutes until strong and wrapped around the paddle. (Monitor temperature to stay under 80°F / 27°C).

4. Preshaping, Shaping & Final Proof

1. Turn dough onto a well-buttered surface and preshape into a tight ball. Rest uncovered for 20 minutes.
2. Generously spray a 1kg pandoro mold with non-stick oil.
3. Shape dough (~950 g total) into a very tight ball and place smooth-side down into the mold.
4. Proof at 30°C for 4–6 hours until dough rises to 5 cm below the top rim.

5. Bake & Serve

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 30 minutes.
2. Lower temperature to 330°F (165°C), cover top with foil, and bake for 25–30 minutes more until internal temperature reaches 99°C (210°F).
3. Rest in mold for 20 minutes, shake well, invert onto a wire rack, and cool completely. Dust heavily with powdered sugar before serving warm.

Nutrition

Calories3877kcalCarbohydrates446gProtein69gFat204gSaturated Fat116gPolyunsaturated Fat14gMonounsaturated Fat58gTrans Fat7gCholesterol1834mgSodium2040mgPotassium610mgFiber10gSugar167gVitamin A6880IUVitamin C0.1mgCalcium281mgIron7mg

Notes

• Temperature Control: Keeping the dough under 80°F (27°C) during long mixer kneading is vital to prevent butter from breaking its emulsion and melting out.
• Flour Strength: High-protein Italian Panettone flour (W 340–380) or 13–14% protein bread flour is required to hold up the heavy fat and sugar content.

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