fiamma
Dec 5th, 2007, 06:11 AM
I know I haven't posted in a while, but I'm really hoping someone can help. I want to make a vegan version of pandoro (if anyone doesn't know what it is, it's a kind of a cross between a bread and a cake, and is a typical Italian Christmas sweet. Unfortunately it uses a TON of eggs, as you will see :( And therein lies the challenge!!!)
I've posted the original recipe simply to help out those who want to offer suggestions - I know butter and eggs aren't vegan! So far I've tried substituting the 2 eggs with soya flour and orange juice, and the 3 egg yolks with soya yogurt, and it was a complete disaster, didn't rise at all. My next idea is to replace the 2 eggs with flax "eggs" and the 3 egg yolks with silken tofu, or banana, or applesauce maybe, or a mixture of these.
This cake/bread is very light in texture and has a delicate taste; I was hoping to avoid using flax for this reason as I've heard the flavour is strong, but all suggestions are welcome. I'm also aware it will not taste like an origiinal pandoro, but hey.
Also what are your thoughts on products like Ener-G egg replacer? I'd rather not use it, but in my desperation I'll try anything... :D
Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.
ETA: Also in step 8, does anyone else think "dotting" the dough with 150g of butter/marg is pretty tough? 150g is a LOT!!! Anyway, here goes:
Pandoro
275g bread flour
10g fresh yeast
3 tablespoons caster sugar
180g unsalted butter
2 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 pinch salt
confectioner's sugar
1. Mix 30g of flour with the flaked yeast in a small bowl and add a tablespoon of lukewarm water (or even two, depending on how much liquid the flour absorbs) to form a runny paste. Leave to rise for about 20 minutes until doubled in size.
2. In another bowl, mix 65g of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, one egg, one egg yolk and 10g of melted butter at room temperature.
3. Add the yeast mixture and knead for about 5 minutes until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place at between 24 and 28 degrees until doubled in size. (This is very important for the outcome of your pandoro. I use my airing cupboard, where the temperature is 25 degrees, but you may want to use your oven at the lowest temperature setting.)
4. Once the dough has risen, pour 130g of flour on your kitchen worktop (or a marble slab for pastry making, if you have one) and add two tablespoons of sugar, one egg, two egg yolks, 20g of melted butter - which has been cooled to room temperature - one teaspoon of vanilla essence and a pinch of salt.
5. Add the risen dough and knead energetically for ten minutes, until it stops sticking to the worktop or to your hands. Add 50g of flour and keep kneading until the dough becomes very soft, but still dry.
6. Make a ball-like shape and place in a large bowl you previously dusted with flour. I'd like to stress the importance of using a large bowl, because the dough will rise a lot. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about three hours.
7. Once the dough has risen again, place it on the worktop and flatten it with the palm of your hand. Fold the dough and flatten again, repeating this process for a total of five times.
8. Shape the dough into a square shape with a rolling pin, then dot with 150g of softened butter. Fold each corner of the dough toward the centre of the square and flatten with a rolling pin.
9. Fold the dough into three layers in a "S" shape, roll the pin over the dough and let it rest for twenty minutes. Repeat this step twice more.
10. Knead the dough again just enough to form a smooth ball and place into a pandoro mould that's been previously buttered and dusted with flour. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it reaches the edge of the mould.
11. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Bake pandoro for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 170 degrees and bake for a further 30 minutes. Insert a kebab stick to check if the cake is done. Remove from the oven and from the mould. Let the pandoro cool and serve dusted with confectioner's sugar.
I've posted the original recipe simply to help out those who want to offer suggestions - I know butter and eggs aren't vegan! So far I've tried substituting the 2 eggs with soya flour and orange juice, and the 3 egg yolks with soya yogurt, and it was a complete disaster, didn't rise at all. My next idea is to replace the 2 eggs with flax "eggs" and the 3 egg yolks with silken tofu, or banana, or applesauce maybe, or a mixture of these.
This cake/bread is very light in texture and has a delicate taste; I was hoping to avoid using flax for this reason as I've heard the flavour is strong, but all suggestions are welcome. I'm also aware it will not taste like an origiinal pandoro, but hey.
Also what are your thoughts on products like Ener-G egg replacer? I'd rather not use it, but in my desperation I'll try anything... :D
Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.
ETA: Also in step 8, does anyone else think "dotting" the dough with 150g of butter/marg is pretty tough? 150g is a LOT!!! Anyway, here goes:
Pandoro
275g bread flour
10g fresh yeast
3 tablespoons caster sugar
180g unsalted butter
2 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 pinch salt
confectioner's sugar
1. Mix 30g of flour with the flaked yeast in a small bowl and add a tablespoon of lukewarm water (or even two, depending on how much liquid the flour absorbs) to form a runny paste. Leave to rise for about 20 minutes until doubled in size.
2. In another bowl, mix 65g of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, one egg, one egg yolk and 10g of melted butter at room temperature.
3. Add the yeast mixture and knead for about 5 minutes until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place at between 24 and 28 degrees until doubled in size. (This is very important for the outcome of your pandoro. I use my airing cupboard, where the temperature is 25 degrees, but you may want to use your oven at the lowest temperature setting.)
4. Once the dough has risen, pour 130g of flour on your kitchen worktop (or a marble slab for pastry making, if you have one) and add two tablespoons of sugar, one egg, two egg yolks, 20g of melted butter - which has been cooled to room temperature - one teaspoon of vanilla essence and a pinch of salt.
5. Add the risen dough and knead energetically for ten minutes, until it stops sticking to the worktop or to your hands. Add 50g of flour and keep kneading until the dough becomes very soft, but still dry.
6. Make a ball-like shape and place in a large bowl you previously dusted with flour. I'd like to stress the importance of using a large bowl, because the dough will rise a lot. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about three hours.
7. Once the dough has risen again, place it on the worktop and flatten it with the palm of your hand. Fold the dough and flatten again, repeating this process for a total of five times.
8. Shape the dough into a square shape with a rolling pin, then dot with 150g of softened butter. Fold each corner of the dough toward the centre of the square and flatten with a rolling pin.
9. Fold the dough into three layers in a "S" shape, roll the pin over the dough and let it rest for twenty minutes. Repeat this step twice more.
10. Knead the dough again just enough to form a smooth ball and place into a pandoro mould that's been previously buttered and dusted with flour. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it reaches the edge of the mould.
11. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Bake pandoro for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 170 degrees and bake for a further 30 minutes. Insert a kebab stick to check if the cake is done. Remove from the oven and from the mould. Let the pandoro cool and serve dusted with confectioner's sugar.