Ch-EAT's Easy Easter Colomba
Ingredients for a 750g C0lomba:
1st Mix:
250g Manitoba Flour
15g Dry Yeast
100g Caster Sugar
100ml Lukewarm Water
A Pinch of Salt
2nd Mix:
120g Manitoba Flour
2 Medium Eggs (room temperature)
100g Softened Butter (Unsalted)
50g Candied Peel
50g Raisins (Soaked in Hot Water)
Zest of 1 Orange
Zest of 1/2 Lemon
1tsp Vanilla Essence
Topping:
80g Ground Almond
50g Brown Sugar
1tbsp Cornstarch
2 Egg Whites
Garnish:
Whole Almonds
Pearl/Coarse Sugar
Directions:
To prepare our Easter Colomba, start with the 1st mix by pouring the Manitoba flour and sugar into a standard mixer bowl. Add the dry yeast and a pinch of salt.
Blend at low speed using the dough hook, and slowly add the warm water.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth.
Cover the bowl, and let it rest at room temperature for about an hour and a half.
This first dough shouldn’t rise much.
Transfer it back into a stand mixer bowl and start kneading again adding the 2nd mix flour slowly.
Pour in the eggs one at a time.
Add one small piece of butter at a time while kneading, waiting for each to be completely absorbed before adding the next.
Take these steps slowly as it will help for a good result.
After the butter is well incorporated, start adding the remaining 2nd mix ingredients. For the raisins, let them soak in warm water for at least 2 hours. This will give you a softer result. Discard the water before using.
While continuing the kneading, add the raisins, candied peel, orange and lemon zest, and vanilla essence.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and gently fold with a dough scraper.
Place the dough in a buttered bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap or a bowl lid.
Let it rise for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, divide the dough into two equal parts.
Flatten each part, then roll it onto itself creating a cylinder. Use wet hands to make things easier.
Do the same thing with the second part of the dough and place it inside the Colomba mold (750g size) crossing each other to form the body and the wings.
Cover with some greased plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 2 hours.
In the meantime, mix the topping ingredients until you get a thick paste.
When the dough has risen around 1cm over the border it's ready to continue.
Gently spread the topping mixture over the Colombia and garnish with the sugar and whole almonds.
Bake in a preheated 160°c oven for about an hour.