Round, aromatic and peppered with pine nuts, pistachios, raisins and candied fruit – that's Pandolce. The literal “sweet bread” with the unmistakable aniseed note is a must on every Christmas table from the Ligurian Sea to Genoa and into the mountains. Even though it may remind you of the more famous panettone:Alas, that's what it's called! Then you mess with the tradition-conscious inhabitants of Liguria, who are proud of the history of their Christmas cake.
The origin of the pandolce goes back much further than that of its Lombard cousin, the panettone. It was in the middle of the 16th century when the Doge Andrea Doria organized a competition among the confectioners of the region. The goal was to make a sweet pastry that stays crunchy and aromatic even on long journeys. Today Pandolce is available in two versions:an airy, high cake and a compact, rather flat cake, known by the addition “antico” and considered the tastiest. Traditionally, the pandolce is placed on a laurel branch and served after Christmas dinner. The youngest at the table cuts the cake and the oldest divides the pieces. Traditionally, one disc is kept for the poor and one for February 3. During this holiday, the Ligurians honor Saint San Biagio, the patron saint of the throat. And so the locals "enjoy" the old-fashioned piece of Pandolce immediately after getting up. It is considered an ancient panacea for any sore throat.
If you want to try it for yourself, we have Pandolce's recipe here:
Ingredients:
200 g flour type 00
150 g icing sugar
65 g soft butter
1 egg
150 g raisins (soak in 100 ml orange juice for about 1 hour beforehand)
50 candied oranges cut into strips
3 g fennel seeds
3 g dry yeast or baker's yeast
25 g toasted pine nuts
80 g peeled almonds
15 g milk
15 g orange juice
20 g peeled almonds (for the surface)
1 egg yolk to brush the surface
Preparation:
Mix the flour, icing sugar, softened butter and egg in a large bowl. Stir in raisins, candied oranges, fennel seeds, dried yeast, pine nuts, almonds, milk and orange juice and mix thoroughly. The dough remains relatively soft. Form a round, flat cake on baking paper. Top with the remaining almonds. Then brush lightly with the egg yolk. Bake the dough for about 20 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius. The dough should not be completely dry, otherwise the juicy effect will be lost.
Enjoy your meal and Merry Christmas!
