Keeping a cooking and baking blog has never come to my mind neither this post represents a shift into the theme and mood of Hypnogram, but this time am I going to write about my most recent baking experiment: the casatiello.
The name of this cake is not easy to pronounce for anyone who's not from southern Italy but if you search for it you will find there are different versions of this cake. The casatiello is an Easter typical cake in Naples and it's somewhat like salty quiche, baked with common bread yeast, and including eggs and bacon. My version and the one of my province is instead sweet; pretty much looking like the one in this picture.
What is so special about this cake?
It's pretty tasty and it's simply perfect dunked in milk for breakfast. On the other hand it's hard to bake as processing the yeast requires patience and a lot of time on your hand. The process takes approximately two days from first mixing to baking. Last week I tried to bake it but I didn't succeed as the raising agent I used was simply crap, but this time things are looking better.
I'd say the best thing about baking is that you can share what you have made for some days after the cake or whatever you baked is ready. This is very different from the pride and satisfaction you take after cooking as usually only a very close circle of friends can enjoy the food you cooked for them. So here I am, exploring this new side of food making which very much resembles chemist' work.
3 comments:
It looks fantastic! Is the recipe secret or can you share! I am in a baking phase after Andi's birthday last Tuesday.
Hi Stefanie,
I wish my cake was as beautiful as the one in the picture. Here is the recipe for this cake. Doses for 4 cakes (as my mum makes them in big quantity)
Ingredients:
1 Kg plain flour
800g Sugar
250g Butter
Juice of 2 oranges
7g bag of beer yeast
10 eggs (3 for the yeast, 7 for the rest of the cake)
Milk
Grated skin of 1 lemon
Pearl sugar for decoration
Phase 1:
Solve the yeast in about half glass of warm water and mix with 250g of flour. Mix until you have a tiny pat of dough and leave it to rise for at least 12 hours. It's better to cover it with a cotton cloth.
Phase 2:
Mix 4 table spoons of sugar and 3 eggs. Slowly add 250g of flour, some milk and whisk for 6/7 minutes. At last, add the yeast and keep on whisking for about 15 mins. Let this dough rise, for 12 hours (but sometimes it might be less).
Phase 3:
Melt 250g of butter in a pot.
In a big bowl mix 7 eggs with about 800g of sugar. Slowly add the remaining flour (about 500g left) and the butter. Add milk if needed to keep the dough soft. Add the juice of 2 oranges and the skin of the lemon. When the dough is smooth add the yeast and keep on whisking. You might need to change the whisks to the those specific to heavy dough mixing. Whisk the whole dough for about 20 minutes.
Take an aluminium container like the one in the picture and butter it up and add some flour. Cover the container with the dough and leave it to rise for some hour (4-7). Pay attention it doesn't grow too much and bake at 180-220°C for about 20-25 minutes.
Check if it's baked with a toothpick.
Hope you enjoy it :D
Yay, thanks! I think I will be brave and try making one for Easter.
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