Catholic Recipe: Colomba Pasquale (Italian Easter Dove)
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup ground almonds
- 1 egg white
- 2 teaspoons sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 package active dry, or cake, yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup butter, melted, cooled
- 1 unbeaten egg
- 1 unbeaten egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2-2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped candied fruit
Details
Yield: 1 loaf
Cake:
Prep Time: 4 hours
Difficulty: ★★★☆
Cost: ★★☆☆
For Ages: 15+
Origin: Italy
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One traditional Easter bread in Italy is the Columba Pasquale, which is sweet bread shaped like a dove.
DIRECTIONS
Glaze: Combine all glaze ingredients; reserve.
Cake: Soften yeast in warm water. Combine brown sugar, butter, egg, egg yolk, salt in mixing bowl; add yeast. Gradually add flour to form stiff dough. Knead on floured surface 5 minutes. Add raisins, candied fruit. Knead 5 minutes until fruit evenly distributed. Divide in 2 parts, 1 slightly larger than the other. Roll out largest portion on floured board to 8 x 5-inch rectangle. Place on well-greased baking sheet, shaping into head, body, tail of dove. Divide remaining dough into 2 parts. Roll out into 2 long "wings"; place on either side of neck. Cover. Reserve to rise in warm place until double in size (about 2 1/2 hours). Brush with glaze. Bake 35-40 minutes at 325°. Yield, 1 loaf
Recipe Source: Catholic Cookbook, The by William I. Kaufman, The Citadel Press, New York, 1965
