Traditional natural leavening colomba
I arrive late for Easter, but it doesn’t matter. I ran for this Colomba because on Sunday, as Claudio and I will be alone, I want to bring on our table at least a little joy and something above all that tastes like family.
This Colomba was not an easy task. I started by mistaking the size of the baking tray, I took one too big compared to the weight of my dough. I then tried to use Licoli instead of solid Mother Yeast, which is what I usually use for large leavened products.
In short, I tried and although I think I can improve absolutely in the result, I must say that the Colomba is among us.
The great leavened products are a bit like completing a journey, like the crowning of what is the search for a leavened enthusiast.
It is a conquest … but how hard it is to get to understand this dough, to keep up with it, to support it. How much effort to understand mistakes, to understand where to go to intervene.
I decided to choose the recipe of a great master of the White art and I did it for two main reasons.
The teacher in question is Ezio Marinato .
He, as regards the large leavened products and bread, and Christian Zaghini, for the world of pizza, were the first two to open my eyes to the world of leavened products.
Secondly, today I thought that thanks to Molino Grassi , we were able to get to know such relevant figures in the bread making sector and we managed to get passionate about an art that is not at all obvious and that we did it with a professional and didactic approach, grasping fully the beauty of training and study about leavened products.
Those who know me well know how fixated I am with the training issue, but guys, I can’t help it, regardless of the result that you will get from time to time. Curiosity goes beyond mere result.
I must be honest: one does not approach these works if one does not have a minimum of general knowledge (even simple reading and personal curiosity on the subject). But above all, reproducible results cannot be obtained without having a criterion to follow and a method. The blessed method that I keep repeating to everyone. With this I dare not say that baking or leavened products are for a few, far from me (who am I to do it, on the other hand?) But I can say, precisely because I tried it on my skin, that a certain amount of information, if well monitored and filtered, they can help, in the arduous undertaking of making a great leavening anniversary.
That said, don’t hate me. In fact, mine is an invitation to try to understand what is missing from your cultural background and throw yourself headlong into knowledge. You will benefit and feel richer. With or without super alveolar dove 😀
So I want to dedicate this little satisfaction to these people, who I really miss in this moment of quarantine.
I would like to embrace Vanessa (coordinator of the courses at Molino Grassi) , who was the greatest discovery of these years as a friend and as a work coordinator.
I would like to sit in the classroom again and listen to those who really know something about this world and are able to communicate it with maximum empathy and strength.
This dove is somewhat the crowning glory of teamwork. Although imperfect, it is full of comparisons, clarifications, moments of discouragement and moments in which joy is truly great.
Thanks to Ezio, who always responds promptly to the questions and messages I send him.
Thanks to Massimiliano Nappo , who supported me during the stringing of the dough, leavening and baking!
I can’t say anything else: trust the professionals when you have doubts to fill. Remove unnecessary information, which is not needed, which fills but does not give fullness and integrity. Seek answers to questions, don’t be lazy.
Each of you can achieve excellent results, only by looking for them and only by having a clear way to go in front of you.
We wish you a happy Easter.
Lucia and Claudiu
COLOMBA TRADITIONAL EZIO MARINATO recipe
(Dose for a 1 kg dove)
First dough:
- 40 g of licoli
- 220 g of 380 W flour
- 60 g of butter
- 60 g of sugar
- 100 g of water
- 60 gr of yolks
Second dough:
- All the first dough
- 50 g of 320/350 W flour
- 100 g of butter
- 50 g sugar
- 60 g of yolks
- 1 g barley malt
- 2 g of salt
- 200 g of diced candied orange
In place of the only candied orange I used:
- 100 g of candied orange
- 100 g of candied cedar
Aromatic mix:
- 20 g of honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (homemade)
- 1/4 of grated orange peel
I made the aromatic mix macerate 24 hours before I started preparing the colomba. I advise you to do it to obtain a stronger perfume and flavor. Grate the orange peel, mix it with the vanilla paste and honey and cover with cling film, leave at room temperature until ready for use.
Almond ice:
- 45 g of shelled almonds
- 100 g of sugar
- 8 g of re-milled semolina
- 8 g of potato starch
- 50 egg whites
I recommend that you also prepare this the day before in the following way: in a mixer combine the almonds, sugar, re-milled semolina and starch and pulverize. Mix the egg white a little at a time and check its consistency: it must not be excessively liquid but not too hard. Try the spoon: if you raise a quantity of glaze, it must come down but remain attached to the spoon. Put in a jar and cover tightly. About two hours before use, before baking the dove, put it out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature.
For finishing:
- Almond ice
- Raw almonds
- Coarse sugar grain
THE PREPARATORY REFRESHMENTS:
As I said before, I used my li.co.li (liquid sourdough) to prepare this colomba. However, it is good to prepare our liquid mother yeast to do a tough job. In fact, he will have to work in an environment rich in fats and sugars, which he normally does not, being in contact only with water and flour. We must therefore carry out preparatory refreshments.
For the Li.co.li the preparatory refreshments will be the following:
refreshment 1
with a 2: 1 ratio, that is: 2 parts of yeast 1 of flour and 1 of water.
Example: 50 g of li.co.li + 25 g of flour + 25 g of water.
refreshment 2
with a 1: 1 ratio, that is: 1 part of yeast 1 of flour and 1 of water.
Example: 50 g of li.co.li + 50 g of flour + 50 g of water.
refreshment 3
with a 1: 1 ratio, that is: 1 part of yeast 1 of flour and 1 of water.
Example: 50 g of li.co.li + 50 g of flour + 50 g of water.
METHOD:
FIRST MIXTURE
Put water and sugar in the bowl and mix until the sugar is completely dissolved, pour it in the bowl and add the flour, the mother dough into small pieces and a third of the yolks emulsified with a fork. Start the dough at medium speed, using the mixer of the mixer and when the dough takes shape and begins to string, about 13 minutes later, add what remains of the yolks. I usually, for the additions I move by dividing the additions into three times, so as not to exceed too much with the ingredients but not to put too few. Do not add more yolk until the previous mix is well absorbed and wait for it to clean the walls of the bowl before proceeding. The dough must be smooth, homogeneous and stringed. At this point ,you can add the butter, several times. After the first dose of butter the dough seems to tear, it divides, it doesn’t look good. Don’t be scared !!! Have patience, let the machine work and you will see that soon it will come back on the rope and clean the walls of the bowl, so it will be time to add the second dose.
Pay attention to the temperature of the dough: get a thermometer or a probe for the temperature of the dough to make sure you always stay below 26 degrees. If you approach 26 degrees, stop everything and put the dough 10 minutes in the fridge with the whole bowl. I also put the hook in the freezer to be meticulous: a colder dough rather than a warmer one. Knead for about 20 minutes, until a smooth, silky, homogeneous and elastic mixture is obtained. Turn over and pirlate your dough.
How can I tell if my dough has tripled?
You can either put your dough in a graduated container for dough, but if you don’t have one you can use the “leavening light” method: Place the first dough in the bowl in which you will let it rise and in a simple glass put a part of small dough. Put a mark on the glass or use an elastic band to keep the level of the dough. Close with cling film and put in the same place where you will put the other bowl with the dough to rise. Put them in this way, to rise in the same conditions, trying to have a constant temperature of about 24/25 ° C. With a stable leavening without temperature changes, our dough will be ready in about 12 hours. If, after the time has elapsed, the dough is not ready, wait anyway for triples of volume!
SECOND MIXTURE
The next morning, after the first dough has tripled its volume, we can proceed. While weighing all the ingredients, I advise you to deflate the leavened dough by adding the leavened light to it, and to put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, so as to lower the temperature and not exceed 26 degrees as soon as the dough has started . Place the bowl where you are going to knead and the hook in the freezer in the fridge. Insert the first dough in the bowl of the mixer, with the flour and malt, start at minimum speed, then turn up and mix the mixture well, about 15 minutes. Be careful at this point to string your dough well: if you can do it now, most likely you will not lose the string.
Slowly add the sugar (always in three times) and let it absorb completely before proceeding to the other additions. Then add the salt and yolks in several stages: always string the dough before proceeding with the other ingredients.
How do I know if he’s strung?
The bowl will need to be completely clean every time you make an addition. Until this is the case, do not make any other additions.
Now also add the aromatic mix. Incorporate everything well until obtaining a smooth and homogeneous paste, then add the butter (always three times) soft, but not melted, and leave to incorporate. Finally add the candied fruit. Mix 2 minutes at the minimum of the planetary mixer power, just to incorporate the candied fruit into the dough. At this point, finish kneading and let rest in bowl for 30 minutes covered with cling film at about 30 ° C. After this period, turn the mass over onto the surface and let it point for about 40 minutes. After that, weigh the required quantity according to the baking cups available. For a one-kilo mold we will put about 900 g of dough in the baking paper.
Prepare the two salami, going, with a tarot, to divide the dough into two pieces, one larger, one slightly smaller.
Put in the cups and let rise from 7 to 9 hours.
Do not be alarmed if your dough will take longer, this may depend on the temperature at which you keep the dough and other variables during the processing of the dough. Wait for it to arrive about two fingers from the edge.
COOKING
With the glaze, at that point, cover the dove, sprinkle it with granulated sugar and almonds.
Preheat the oven, place your dove down and cook at 160 ° in static mode for 55 minutes.