Pan del Doge / Christmas Bread from Veneto
Pan del Doge is a wonderfully rich buttery festive bread, studded with walnuts, pine nuts and Marsala (my preference but Grappa is very suitable too) soaked dry figs, and it simply just smells of Christmas in the region of Veneto.
I let ”my pan del doge” bread be tall, light and fluffy, not exactly the way you can find it being sold in a form of a rather dense large bun. I have a soft spot for delicate yeasted baked goods, but if you wish to stay with a more traditional form however, don’t let the bread dough rise as much as indicated in the recipe below (or let it slowly prove in the fridge overnight), before adding the nuts.
Needless to say that it’s exquisite and most fragrant when eaten still slightly warm straight from the oven, but it toasts extremely well and pairs perfectly with some creamy Gorgonzola Dolce for an aperitivo snack. Otherwise I like to toast it in a pan (no need for butter) and top it with a silky layer of butter and a raspberry or bitter orange jam for breakfast .
Ingredients:
- 500 g of flour, type „0”
- 14 g of fresh yeast
- half a teaspoon of caster sugar
- 120 ml of water
- 3 eggs
- 30-35 g of Marsala wine (of which 15-20 g will be used for soaking the figs-see below)
- 50 g of runny honey
- 8 g of salt
- 150 g of softened butter
- 80 g of walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 40 g of pine nuts, toasted
- 80 g of dry figs, chopped
To finish:
- a tablespoon of softened butter
- icing sugar
Prepare the yeast starter:
In a small bowl stir together the crumbled fresh yeast, half a teaspoon of sugar and 50 ml of lukewarm water (never hot!). Sift some flour on top – less than a tablespoon, cover with a plate and leave in a warm place for about 10 minutes (the yeast mix should increase in volume and show some bubbles by that time).
If you are using dry yeast then omit the step above, just mix the yeast with the flour and follow the recipe as below.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl of a standing mixer.
Make a well and pour in the yeast starter, the remaining water and the lightly beaten egg.
Start working the dough on a lower speed with the dough hook attached. Gradually add the rest of the eggs, one by one, then the honey and pour in the Marsala (15g). Once the dough starts to come together add the salt. After about 2 minutes start adding the butter, a large tablespoon at a time, adding more butter once the previous quantity is fully absorbed.
Knead the dough for a further 7 minutes or so. The mixture should turn smooth, shiny and elastic.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise at room temperature for about two hours or until it doubles in size.
In the meantime soak the chopped figs in the Marsala wine for 1-2 hrs, stirring them occasionally.
Once the dough has risen enough add the chopped walnuts, pine nuts and the soaked chopped figs (along with any juices) into the bowl.
Knead the dough gently with your hands, alternatively you can do it using a standing mixer agin, just enough to mix well the dry ingredients with the prepared dough.
Grease and line with a sheet of baking parchment a round baking tin (best if 26 -28 cm in diameter).
Transfer the dough into the prepared baking tin, cover with cling film or tea towel and leave to prove for a further 40-60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220 C – static.
Place the bread in the preheated oven and bake for the first 5 minutes at this temperature,
next lower the temperature to 180 C – static and bake for further 30-35 minutes, until a dark golden crust is formed. If the top of the bread browns too quickly, cover it loosely with a sheet of aluminium foil.
Take the bread out of the oven and let it cool slightly before taking it out of the baking tin.
Using a brush spread evenly the softened butter on top (the butter should melt and soak into the bread) and dust generously with the icing sugar.
Buon Natale !
