Italian Easter cheese bread – crescia al formaggio
There are dishes that warm up our heart and soul and for me one of these dishes is Italian Easter cheese bread – crescia al formaggio. This leavened savory bread/cake is traditionally baked during the Easter period in Umbria. Nowadays it is very popular and it can be bought all year round in many Umbrian bakeries. When I was a student I used to buy it still lukewarm and I ate it for lunch between one course and another.
When I recently met a food blogger who lives in Gubbio I immediately asked her for the original and tested recipe. Her name is Marta and her blog is called In cucina con mia sorella. She kindly gave me this recipe and I almost have not made any changes. I trust the experience and tradition of her family that has been preparing this crescia for many years.
This Easter Italian bread is very tasty, rich in various types of cheese, perfect to be eaten with a glass of red wine. The smell during cooking is absolutely overwhelming and it takes a lot of inner strenght to not eat while it still very hot as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Traditionale Italian recipe: Italian Easter cheese bread – crescia al formaggio.
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 150 g grated Parmesan cheese
- 50 g grated pecorino cheese
- 500 g bread flour
- 100 g soft butter
- 120 ml warm milk
- 4 g active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 80 g diced gruyère cheese (I used emmental)
- Instructions below.
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Notes
Waiting time necessary for the dough raising.
Instructions Italian Easter cheese bread
Whisk milk with honey and active dry yeast. Set aside and wait for 10 minutes or until it becomes foamy.
In a bowl of the mixer with dough attachment place flour, Parmesan and grated pecorino cheese and salt.
Add the eggs and begin to knead.
At this point add milk with yeast and butter.
Knead the ingredients until minimum 10 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and very elastic. At this point add diced Gruyère cheese and knead the dough briefly to incorporate it.
Grease 20 cm wide and 10 cm high round baking pan and lightly dust it with flour. Create a ball of dough and place it in the pan. Place your Italian Easter cheese bread in a warm place until it doubles in volume.
The rising times are approximate, it can take more or less time depending on the temperature of the environment, the freshness of the yeast, the strength of the flour and other factors not related to the recipe.
Bake your crescia in the preheated static oven at 170 – 180 ° C for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool down slightly before removing from the pan. Serve with cheese, traditional salami and red wine.
lot of love. B.
p.s. If you like savory Italian bread recipes I think you will also love my: Savory rolls stuffed with Italian eggplant caponata.
