ChEAT’s Pistachio Pandoro
Pandoro isn't that complicated to make, it might sound like a lot of work but in reality, there are 3 simple steps. This is ChEAT's version with a creamy pistachio filling.
Ingredients:
Poolish:
50g Type ’00’ Flour
5g Instant Dry Yeast
50ml Water
First Dough:
Poolish
1 whole Egg
90g Type ’00’ Flour
7g Instant Dry Yeast
10g Caster Sugar
Second Dough:
200g Type ’00’ Flour
2 Whole Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
1/2 grated Lemon Peel
70g Caster Sugar
125g Soft Stork Tub
1tsp Honey
1/2tsp Vanilla Essence
Pistachio Cream:
1tub Elmlea Double
100g Unsalted Roasted Pistachios (without shell)
50g Icing Sugar
1/4tsp Pistachio Essence
2 Drops of Green Food Colouring (optional)
Directions:
The evening before preparing the pandoro, make the poolish by mixing all the ingredients. Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise overnight.
The following day, start the first dough. Using a mixer and a dough hook, mix the poolish with the first dough flour, yeast, and sugar. When it starts to combine add the egg and continue mixing until it’s well incorporated.
Place the dough in a glass bowl and cover with cling film. Let it rise until it doubles in volume. This can take between 1-3 hours depending on the temperature. Placing it in a warm place like an oven with the light turned on will help the process.
Once it’s nice and fluffy, deflate it and transfer it to your mixer with the dough hook attached.
Add the honey, lemon peel, vanilla essence, second dough flour, and the sugar.
Start kneading at a low speed then gradually start adding the whole eggs and yolks, one by one.
Finish with the margarine and knead for about 10 minutes until you have a nice silky dough.
Transfer it to a clean surface and give it a couple of folds.
Using wet hands and a dough scraper will make this process simpler.
Butter your star-shaped pandoro mold (or a deep cake tin. Mine is a 1kg pandoro mold)
Place the dough in the mold and cover with plastic film.
Now you have to be patient. Let the dough rise until it reaches the edge of the mold. This process can take up to 4 hours so think ahead.
Preheat your oven to 140°c and place a tray of hot water at the bottom. The steam will help the pandoro to remain moist.
Baking time should take about 60 - 70 minutes.
The pandoro will be ready once it’s nice and golden on the surface, just check with a toothpick after an hour of baking. If the toothpick is clean when inserted in the center, then it’s ready.
Let it cool down in the mold for 30 minutes then flip it over a wire rack until it is completely cool.
For the decoration/pistachio cream ideally, you do this step just before serving.
Punch deep holes along the surface of the pandoro using chopsticks or something similar.
For the pistachio cream simply crush the roasted pistachio kernels using a blender until it becomes fine like wet sand. Leave some kernels for decoration, and coarsely crush them.
Whip the cream together with the crushed pistachio, icing sugar, essence, and drops.
Pump the pistachio cream into these cavities using a piping bag or pastry syringe. Leave some of the cream on the surface.
Drizzle the pandoro with icing sugar, spread the remaining cream on top, and sprinkle the crushed pistachios.
Serve and enjoy!
