Colomba pasquale

Method

1. 1 Ferment 20g of flour and warm water for 12 hours to give the dough its characteristic sour aroma of colomba.
2. 2 Knead the dough with eggs, sugar, grated orange zest, and freshly squeezed orange juice for 15 minutes, then add the softened butter in three stages.
3. 3 Divide the dough into one long strip and one short strip, then arrange them in a cross shape in the paper mold to create the body and two wings of the bird.
4. 4 Mix almond flour with powdered sugar and a little egg white to make a thick glaze, then spread it evenly over the surface of the cake.
5. 5 Sprinkle with sliced almonds and granulated sugar, then bake at 170 degrees for 35 minutes, until the glaze cracks into large pieces.

With an appliance

• Air fryer 1 hr 40 min

  Replace step 5: spray a thin layer of oil onto the sides of the mold, use a 185-degree hot air oven for 23 minutes, and rotate the tray at minute 11. The strong airflow shortens the time by about one-third compared to a conventional oven and browns the surface faster.