Easter cake

It is a true symbol of the Easter holidays, but in its homeland it is prepared for the whole year. Many of us are used to preparing it with ricotta, spinach, boiled eggs and a crunchy dough wrapped that varies according to tastes and customs. But in reality, the Easter cake has a beautiful story to tell. Let's find out everything about it together!

The savory pies based on vegetables are an indispensable dish of the Italian tradition: think of erbazzone reggiano, tiella with escarole from Gaeta, focaccia stuffed with stewed onions and olives of the Apulian tradition, calzones stuffed with friarielli (often accompanied by sausage) of Campania gastronomy. But if there is a preparation among these that has become among the most loved in all of Italy, prepared in its homeland for almost the whole year and in other regions especially during Easter, it is the one that takes the name of Easter cake.

In Umbria for breakfast on Easter Day you can not miss the Easter cake, since childhood on the morning of Easter Day we gathered with all the grandparents, uncles, cousins, and together we had breakfast with cheese cake, cold cuts and boiled eggs.

Ingredients

180 ml Water

350 g Flour 

50 g Sourdough

1 pinch Salt

1 pinch Pepper

1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil

2 Eggs

80 g Parmigiano Reggiano 

80 g Pecorino Romano cheese

100 g Gruyere

Preparation

The night before you have to prepare a first dough: dissolve the sourdough in water, then add the flour, oil and salt to the dough. Put everything in the mixer and operate it at modio-high speed for at least 5 minutes. You can leave the dough in the mixer, covering it well with more than one cloth or tablecloth. It should be left to rise overnight, for at least 10 hours. The next morning add the lightly beaten eggs, grated Parmesan and pecorino cheese and freshly ground pepper. Operate the mixer and let it work for 5 minutes. When the dough is well blended, add the Gruyere cheese cut into cubes of 2 centimeters on each side. Stir another minute then pour the dough on a round cake tin 20 centimeters in diameter and 15 centimeters deep, well greased with oil both on the bottom and on the edges. Cover it again with a cloth and put it to rise in a place away from drafts. You will have to let it rise for at least 6 hours, or until it triples its volume. Now bake it in a preheated ventilated oven at 180 °C for 45-50 minutes, if it is too colored on the surface you can cover it with aluminum foil. When you take it out of the oven, before you can remove it from the pan, you will have to wait for it to cool for at least an hour, then help yourself with a knife to detach the edges and turn it upside down. Let it finish cooling upside down.