Name: Pandoro
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 22 h 55 min
Cuisine: Italian, Veronese
Ingredients: 480 g strong white flour, plus a little for handling; 20 g fresh yeast; 90 ml whole milk, lukewarm, divided; 125 g caster sugar, divided; 3 large eggs; 1 egg yolk; 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped; 5 g fine sea salt; 170 g unsalted butter, soft but cool, divided; extra butter for the mould; icing sugar for serving

Pandoro: wide hero view of the finished traditional dish

Prep2 h

Cook55 minutes

Total22 h 55 min

Yield1 pandoro / 10 slices

Jump to recipe ↓

The dish

About Pandoro

Italia.it traces the modern pandoro to Verona and Domenico Melegatti’s 1884 patent, while La Cucina Italiana documents the classic butter-rich layered home method.

The crumb depends on fermentation and butter incorporation rather than chemical leavening. Dough strength must be built before the large butter addition.

Cold rests are essential during lamination: soft butter leaking from the dough destroys the fine layered, feathery crumb.

The final proof is judged by dough height in the mould, not merely the clock; enriched dough can move slowly in a cool kitchen.

Technique

Three things that matter

Develop gluten before lamination. The first doughs must become smooth enough to hold eggs, sugar and butter.
Keep the butter cool and pliable. Cold rests prevent greasy leakage during folds.
Proof by volume. Bake only when the dough has risen close to filling the star mould.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Starter and dough

480 gstrong white flourplus a little for handling
20 gfresh yeast
90 mlwhole milklukewarm, divided
125 gcaster sugardivided
3large eggs
1egg yolk
1vanilla beanseeds scraped
5 gfine sea salt

Butter and finish

170 gunsalted buttersoft but cool, divided
extra butterfor the mould
icing sugarfor serving

Step by step

Method

Build the enriched dough

Make the starter. Dissolve 15 g yeast in 60 ml lukewarm milk; mix with 25 g sugar, the yolk and 50 g flour. Cover and let double, about 1 hour.
The starter should be visibly domed and aerated.
Make the second dough. Dissolve remaining yeast in the remaining milk; add it with 1 egg, 100 g sugar, 200 g flour and 30 g butter. Knead smooth and let double about 1 hour.
The dough should stretch more cleanly from the bowl.
Enrich and chill. Knead in remaining flour, 2 eggs, vanilla and salt until elastic; cover, let rise about 1 hour, then refrigerate 12–15 hours.
Cold dough should be firm enough to roll without smearing.

Laminate and shape

Enclose the butter. Roll cold dough into a square, place 140 g cool pliable butter in the centre and fold the corners over to seal it.
No butter should be exposed at the seams.
Give the folds. Roll gently into a rectangle, fold in thirds and chill 20 minutes; repeat three more times, chilling 15–20 minutes between folds.
The dough should stay cool and layered, never greasy.
Round the dough. After the final fold, shape into a smooth ball with the gathered seam underneath.
The surface should be taut without tearing.

Proof and bake

Fill the mould. Butter the pandoro mould thoroughly and set the shaped dough inside with the seam toward the bottom.
The dough should sit centred at the base of the star.
Final proof. Cover and leave in a warm draft-free place until the dough rises close to the top of the mould, roughly 4 hours or longer.
Judge readiness by height and aeration, not only time.
Bake and cool. Bake 15 minutes at 160°C fan, then reduce to 130°C, tent if needed and bake 40–45 minutes more. Cool before unmoulding and dust with icing sugar.
A skewer should emerge clean and the internal crumb feel set, not gummy.

Practical guidance

Historical note

The modern Verona pandoro is associated with Domenico Melegatti’s 1884 patent; older Veneto breads such as nadalin form part of its culinary background.

Timing

The listed passive time is a minimum. Enriched dough may proof more slowly depending on yeast activity and room temperature.

Mould

A true deep pandoro star mould supports the tall vertical rise; a conventional cake tin will not reproduce the same shape.

Troubleshooting

Butter leaks during rolling. The dough or butter is too warm. Stop and refrigerate before continuing.
The pandoro is dense. Fermentation was rushed or gluten was underdeveloped before the butter folds.
The top browns too early. Tent loosely with foil after the initial rise in the oven and continue at the lower temperature.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1/10 loaf
Calories: approximately 390 kcal
Carbohydrates: 47 g
Protein: 8 g
Fat: 19 g
Fibre: 1 g
Sodium: 220 mg

Estimate excludes optional extra icing sugar.

Allergens and food safety

Use fresh eggs and keep enriched dough refrigerated through the long cold rest.

Do not let cloth, film or parchment touch heating elements during proofing/baking.

Bake until the centre is fully set; underbaked enriched dough can remain gummy and collapse.

FAQ

Where did pandoro originate?

The modern cake is associated with Verona; Italia.it records Domenico Melegatti’s 1884 patent.

Why does this recipe take so long?

Multiple rises plus a long cold rest and laminated butter create the characteristic light, shreddable enriched crumb.

Can the butter folds be skipped?

A simpler enriched cake is possible, but skipping the classic lamination changes the texture substantially.

Final note

What matters most

Result: A tall, golden star-shaped loaf with a fine, buttery, vanilla-scented crumb and a snowy icing-sugar finish.
Key: Build dough strength in stages, keep the butter cool during folds and give the final proof all the time it needs.