Traditional Umbrian Recipe: Easter Cheese Bread!

T r a d i t i o n a l U m b r i a n R e c i p e : E a s t e r C h e e s e B r e a d !

March 23, 2021

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Between Kitchen and Cellar

This year for Easter we decided to propose a recipe of the Umbrian tradition because it is true that you can not celebrate lunch with all relatives and friends but you can definitely enjoy the same dish!

What are we talking about? Traditional Easter Cheese Bread!

Here are the ingredients to prepare 1 Easter bread:

– 250 gr “00” flour

– 250 gr “manitoba” flour

– 4 Eggs
– 25 gr Fresh Yeast
– 75 gr Montioni Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 75 gr Grated Pecorino Cheese
– 75 gr Grated Aged Parmesan Cheese
– 150 ml Warm Milk
– 10 gr Salt
– 1 pinch of Sugar

– Baking tray: 12-15 cm high and 18 cm of diameter

Method:
The first step in making Easter cheese bread is… pre-dough!
Let’s see how to make it:

1) To make the pre-dough, mix 150 gr flour “00” with half of the fresh yeast and 50 ml of warm milk. Melt the yeast and mix with the flour to form a loaf.

2) Put the loaf into a bowl and let it rise for about 1 hour.

(Pre-dough after 1 hour of leavening)

3) When the pre-dough is ready, put it inside a mixer together with Montioni Extra Virgin Olive Oil, grated Pecorino and Parmesan, salt, a pinch of sugar and 4 yolks previously separated from egg whites. The latter must be kept in another bowl.

4) Melt the other half of the fresh yeast into a glass of warm milk (100 ml), mix, pour all into the mixer, and start mixing the ingredients.

5) In the meantime, beat the egg whites until stiff with an electric whisk.

6) While the mixer is working the dough, add both flours, manitoba and and the rest of “00”, a little at a time, then gently add the whipped egg whites, and keep mixing until the dough is smooth and thick.

7) Put the dough onto a pastry board and work it with a little flour, folding it several times on itself and on the sides.

8) Make a loaf with the dough and place it on baking tray, with a 18-cm diameter.

9) Cover the tray with a layer of cling film and with a kitchen towel. Let it rise for about 3 hours in a warm place.

(Dough after 3 hours of leavening)

10) Once the dough has leavened, bake at 180°C for 40 minutes in a fan oven.

The result is a magnificent and delicious Umbrian dish loved by all children and all adults!

The perfect match?
Of course the Montioni Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG or the Montioni Montefalco Rosso DOC, our red wines that go well with mature cheeses!