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Pandoro

Traditional Italian Pandoro

2027kcal
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Prep 1 hour
Cook 1 hour
Total 1 day 30 minutes
A spectacular, sky-high Italian holiday classic. Named "golden bread" (pan d'oro) for its brilliant yellow interior, this sweet bread features a rich, melt-in-your-mouth brioche texture with a wonderfully cloud-like crumb. Made using a three-stage fermentation process, it is baked in a traditional eight-pointed star mold and finished with a heavy dusting of powdered sugar.
Servings 1 Pandoro
Cuisine Italian (Veronese)

Ingredients

The Overnight Biga (Stage 1)
The First Dough (Stage 2)
  • All of the Overnight Biga (from Stage 1)
  • 60 g Strong panettone flour (or high-protein bread flour)
  • 80 g Sugar
  • 90 g Egg blend (Exactly 1 whole egg + 3 large yolks)
  • 1 g Dry Instant Yeast
  • 100 g Unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
The Second Dough (Stage 3)
  • All of the Chilled First Dough (from Stage 2)
  • 120 g Strong panettone flour (or high-protein bread flour)
  • 10 g Water
  • 40 g Sugar
  • 80 g Unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
  • 60 g Egg yolks (approx. 3 large yolks)
  • 1 g Dry Instant Yeast
  • 15 g Honey
  • 5 g Salt
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Topping
  • Confectioners' sugar (for dusting)

Equipment

  • 1kg Star-Shaped Pandoro Mold Traditional 8-pointed tall metal baking mold
  • Stand Mixer with paddle attachment
  • Digital Instant-Read Thermometer Crucial for monitoring internal dough temp
  • Ice Packs Used underneath the mixer bowl to prevent overheating
  • Kitchen Scale

Method

Step 1 - The Biga
  1. Mix & Cut: In a small bowl, dissolve 1g of yeast into the water. Stir in the 250g of strong flour and mix with your hands. The dough should remain slightly lumpy. Form it into a ball, cut a clean cross shape on the top surface, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let ferment for 12–14 hours at 72–76°F (22–24°C).
Step 2 - The First Dough
  1. Knead: Next morning, check that the biga is light and expanded. Transfer the biga to your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs/yolks, yeast, sugar, and flour. Mix on low speed for 2–5 minutes, then increase to medium and knead for 7–10 minutes until the dough strengthens and wraps completely around the paddle.
  2. Add Butter: Add the 100g of soft butter chunks. Continue mixing on medium speed for 7–10 minutes until the fat is fully emulsified, the bowl is completely clean, and the dough is strong and non-sticky. (Keep internal dough temperature below 80°F / 27°C).
  3. Warm & Cold Proof: Move the dough to a container. Cover and let ferment at 82–86°F (28–30°C) for 3–4 hours until it triples (3x) in volume. Once risen, move the container to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill before the final mix.
Step 3 - The Second Dough
  1. Flour Mix: Place your chilled first dough into the mixer bowl. Add the 120g of flour and mix on low speed for 3–5 minutes to integrate.
  2. Sugar Mix: Add the 40g of sugar and knead on low speed for 3–5 minutes until the dough looks glossy and elastic.
  3. Butter Emulsion: Add the 80g of softened butter, turn the mixer to medium speed, and knead for 3–5 minutes until the butter incorporates and the dough starts to wrap around the paddle.
  4. Yolks & Aromatics: Add the egg yolks and 1g of yeast. Knead on medium speed for 3–5 minutes. Finally, stream in the water, honey, salt, and vanilla extract, kneading for 5–7 more minutes until the strong dough cleans the bowl and firmly holds the paddle.
Step 4 - Shaping & Baking
  1. Rest: Turn the dough out onto a well-buttered surface. Preshape it into a smooth, tight round ball. Let it rest uncovered on the counter for 20 minutes. Generously spray your 1kg Pandoro mold with non-stick baking oil.
  2. Mold Proof: Re-roll the rested dough into a very tight, smooth ball (total weight should be around 950g). Place it smooth-side down into the greased star mold. Let it proof at 86°F (30°C) for 4–6 hours until the highest dome of the dough rises to exactly 5cm (2 inches) below the top rim of the mold.
  3. Bake Staged: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the pandoro for 30 minutes. Gently tent the top of the mold with aluminum foil, lower the oven temperature to 330°F (165°C), and continue baking for 25–30 minutes until a digital probe thermometer registers an internal core temperature of 210°F (99°C).
  4. Invert: Cool inside the metal mold for 20 minutes. Give the pan a firm shake to loosen the sides, flip it upside down onto a wire rack, and slide the mold off. Let cool completely before applying a thick blanket of confectioners' sugar.

Nutrition

Calories2027kcalCarbohydrates136gProtein15gFat163gSaturated Fat98gPolyunsaturated Fat8gMonounsaturated Fat45gTrans Fat6gCholesterol1043mgSodium411mgPotassium226mgFiber1gSugar133gVitamin A5370IUVitamin C0.3mgCalcium136mgIron2mg

Notes

  • Crucial Dough Temperature Control: High-fat holiday doughs are very sensitive to friction heat generated by stand mixers. If the dough passes 80°F (27°C), the butter will break its emulsion and melt out, ruining the structure. Always use cold or room-temperature ingredients, and pack the bottom of your mixer bowl with ice packs or frozen gel wraps during the long medium-speed kneading phases to keep things cool.
  • Using Fresh/Live Yeast: If you prefer using traditional fresh cake yeast instead of commercial dry instant yeast, you can easily substitute it. Increase the weight from 1g of instant yeast to 4g of live fresh yeast for each of the three stages, dissolving it completely into your liquid components before adding flours.
  • Flour Requirements: To support the structural weight of the massive amount of butter, sugar, and egg yolks in this recipe, you must use high-strength flour. Look for specialized Italian Panettone flour (Tipo 00 with a W rating of 340–380) or a premium domestic bread flour boasting a high protein content of at least 13% to 14%.
  • The Traditional Serving Ritual: Because of its high butter content, Pandoro is best enjoyed slightly warm. Before slicing and serving, place the sugar-dusted star loaf (or individual star wedges) near a warm oven or radiator for 15 minutes. This softens the internal fats, creating an unbelievably pillowy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

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