Pandoro with peach jam

I’ve been trying, for a while now, to cook and bake using seasonal ingredients – influenced by my good friend Ana Elisa – and for that reason this recipe was kept on my messy files for almost a year. Finally the peaches are in season and I could make it – this jam is so delicious it was worth waiting that long for it.

The pandoro itself is not very sweet, therefore perfect to be eaten with the luscious jam – add a bit more sugar to the dough if you have a sweet tooth.

Pandoro with peach jam
from Australian Gourmet Traveller

Pandoro:
½ cup (120ml) lukewarm whole milk
28g dry yeast (4 sachets)
2/3 cup (66g) caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for glazing
4 1/3 cups (605g) all purpose flour
pinch of salt
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (183g) unsalted butter, softened
2 egg yolks
¾ cup (180ml) heavy cream
1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 tablespoon of cream, for egg wash

Peach jam:
6 yellow peaches, ripe yet firm
½ cup (100g) caster (superfine) sugar

Combine milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a bowl. Set aside until foamy (5-10 minutes). Sift in 50g of the flour, mix and stand until foamy (5-10 minutes). Place the remaining flour and salt in the large bowl of a stand mixer. Add butter and remaining sugar and, with the paddle attachment, beat until creamy. Change attachment to a dough hook, add yeast mixture, egg yolks and cream and beat until a smooth and elastic dough forms (10-12 minutes). Transfer dough to a lightly buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (1-2 hours).
Meanwhile, make the peach jam: cut an X at the bottom of each peach and lower them in a pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a colander and refresh with cold water – the peels will slip right off. Halve the peaches, remove the stone, then coarsely chop flesh, place in a saucepan with the sugar and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until jam consistency is reached and volume has reduced to 375ml (20-30 minutes). Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F. Knock back dough and roll out to a 65cm (26in) long log shape. Twist log, bring ends together and knot to seal. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet, bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 170°C/338°F. Brush cake with the egg wash, scatter with the extra caster sugar and bake until cooked through and golden (30-35 minutes).
Serve cake warm with the peach jam.

Serves 10