Pastiera napoletana

Here we go with a new Easter recipe. The pastiera napolitana is a rich and tasty Italian Easter cake with an intense aroma, a solid shortcrust and creamy yet compact filling. Its origins are rooted in ancient pagan rites that celebrated the arrival of spring, but it is also said that the pastiera was born in the 16th century in San Gregorio Armeno’s convent, in the heart of Naples.
Let’s see how to make this traditional Neapolitan cake with S series, which perfectly balances the heat, for a uniform colour on both sides, and offers the possibility to better manage the residual humidity.

Pastiera napoletana recipe

INGREDIENTS – (for a 28cm Ø or two 20cm Ø)

Shortcrust pastry

350g of plain flour
35g egg
35g egg yolk
64g of sugar
64g of icing sugar
175g of unsalted butter
2,1g of salt
0,7g of lemon zest

Filling

520g of grano cotto or Arborio rice
225g of milk
520g of sheep ricotta
410g of Sugar
250g of eggs
1 vial of orange blossom water
130g candied orange
30g candied citron
1g of salt
1 vanilla pod
1 tsp of cinnamon
Orange peel (1/3 orange)
Lemon zest (1/3 lemon)

S series – heat – Pastrybake chamber – Dual-Power™ mode 173°C, 50% ceiling and 60% floor – Delta-Power™ ceiling 10%, floor 5%

 

How to make pastiera napoletana

1. Mix the flour with butter, add the sugar and lemon zest, then add the egg and yolk mixed with salt. Keep on kneading until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the grano cotto in a saucepan and add the milk. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 7/9 minutes after boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. Add both lemon zest and orange peel, cinnamon, orange blossom water, candied fruits, vanilla and salt.
4. Work the ricotta in the planetary mixer with the leaf beater until smooth and add half the sugar. Separately, whisk the eggs with the remaining sugar.
5. Fold the the egg and sugar mixture with the ricotta three times, then add the grano cotto mixed with candied fruits.
6. Set S series Pastrybake chamber for baking: Dual-Power™ mode 173°C, 50% top and 60% floor – Delta-Power™ top 10%, floor 5%.
7. With a rolling pin, evenly roll out the pastry until you get a 4-5mm layer and cut the decorative strips to 3mm. Place the pastry in a floured cake tin, covering the bottom and edges well.
8. Pour in the filling evenly. Then place the strips across the top of the pastiera in one direction and then place the others diagonally to create lozenge shapes, trimming the edges of the strips against the edge of the tin.
9. Place in the oven to bake for 70 minutes, with the steam valve opened after 35 minutes. Once you have obtained the desired browning remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

How to cook pastiera napoletana with Proven®

Following this recipe, once you have arrived at point 6, set Proven® for baking, placing the embossed surface: create a new program selecting SmartBaking mode, 190°C top 50%, floor 55%, baking for 1.15h with the steam discharge valve after 35 minutes. Place the cake tin in the oven on the perforated aluminized tray supplied with Proven® and start the timer.
At the end of the set time, check that you have obtained the desired browning, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Pastiera: how to store

The baked pastiera napoletana can be sotred in a cool and dry place, or in the fridge, placed on a cake-stand with dome for 4/5 days.