Easter cake

Fugazza Vicentina (Easter cake)

Ingredients

500 g Manitoba flour or "0" flour 
160 g sugar

150 g butter

25 g  fresh beer yeast

3 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon of salt

grated zest of two oranges

grated zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 egg white + pearl sugar + whole almonds

Melt 20 g of yeast with 80 ml of warm water and allow to ferment for about 10 minutes. Add 140 g of flour and mix together. Form a ball, put it in a large bowl, cross cut the top surface to allow the dough to expand, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for half an hour in a warm place away from drafts. 

Now, mix an egg with 50 g sugar, 50 g of soft butter and 120 g of flour and set aside. After half an hour add this mixture to the previous one and work until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour if necessary.

Form a ball, cross cut the surface, put it in the bowl and let rise for about 2 hours (it should double in volume).

Now, as before, mix an egg and a yolk with 50 g sugar, 50 g of soft butter and 120 g of flour and set aside.

After about 2 hours add this mixture to the previous leavened one and knead it for about ten minutes. Form a ball, cross cut the surface, put it in the bowl covered with plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 hours. It should double in volume.

Meanwhile, mix an egg with 60 g of sugar, citrus zest, vanilla, 50 g of soft butter and a teaspoon of salt. Melt the remaining yeast in a tablespoon or two of warm water and add about 120/130 g of flour. Mix everything very well and after 2 hours add this mixture to the previous leavened one. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes, adding the flour if the dough is too sticky. At this point, the result should be a smooth and homogeneous dough that you’ll cross cut once again. Place the dough in a disposable paper baking mould of about 1 kg. If you prefer, you can divide the dough in half and bake in two separate moulds of 500 g each. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and let rise until the mixture reaches the edge of the mould (about 2 hours). Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush the surface of the cake with the egg white and sprinkle with the pearl sugar and almonds. Bake for about 40/45 minutes. Cover with foil if it gets too dark. Check the cooking with a long skewer.  Remove the cake from the oven and let cool 5 minutes, then put the cake on one side so that all the moisture can evaporate.