Colomba di Pasqua (Italian Easter Dove Bread)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Quick breads Vanilla: Extract Medium

Colomba di Pasqua (Italian Easter Dove Bread)

A tall, buttery enriched yeast cake with candied orange peel, topped with a crunchy almond-meringue glaze and pearl sugar. This is a simplified home version of the traditional multi-day colomba. Makes 1 colomba in about 5 hr 45 min.

Prep 60 min

Cook 45 min

Cooling 4 hr

Total 5 hr 45 min

Yield 1 colomba

Ingredients

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colomba

3 ¼ cups (400 g)bread flour
½ cup (100 g)granulated sugar, for the dough
¼ oz (8 g)instant yeast
¾ tsp (5 g)salt
½ cup (120 ml)whole milk, lukewarm
2 (100 g)eggs
2 (36 g)egg yolks
½ cup (120 g)unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ tsp (3 g)orange zest
1 tsp (5 ml)vanilla extract
¾ cup (100 g)candied orange peel, chopped
2 (66 g)egg whites
½ cup (50 g)almond meal
⅓ cup (75 g)granulated sugar, for the glaze
¼ cup (30 g)whole almonds
¾ oz (20 g)pearl sugar

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Instructions

Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the milk, eggs, yolks, zest and vanilla and knead 5 minutes. Add the butter in pieces and knead 10 minutes until smooth, elastic and sticky.
Knead in the candied peel. Cover and rise until doubled, about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Shape into a ball and place in a 7-inch (18 cm) round pan with a parchment collar, or a dove-shaped paper mold. Cover and rise 90 minutes until puffed.
Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Whisk the glaze egg whites, almond meal and sugar until thick. Spread over the risen dough and press in the whole almonds and pearl sugar.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes, tenting with foil after 20 minutes if browning too fast, until deep golden and 190 F (88 C) in the center.
Cool completely before slicing.

Tips

The dough is sticky and rich; resist adding too much flour.
Rise fully before baking or the crumb stays dense.
The glaze bakes into a crisp crust; do not skimp.
Egg whites in the glaze are baked fully; do not eat the unbaked glaze.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make colomba di pasqua (italian easter dove bread)?

Plan on 60 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking, plus 4 hours to chill. The recipe makes 1 colomba.

How should I store colomba di pasqua (italian easter dove bread)?

Wrap tightly and keep at room temperature up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months.

Can I make colomba di pasqua (italian easter dove bread) ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.