Traditional Neapolitan Easter Bread Casatiello vs Tortano

The Neapolitan Easter Bread Casatiello is a staple of the Easter celebration in the Campania region, renowned for its rich, savory flavors. It is a rustic bread sumptuously rolled and filled with an assortment of leftover cold cuts, such as bacon, mortadella, and ham, alongside a variety of cheeses, including provola, mozzarella, and pecorino. The circular shape of the bread is evocative of a crown of thorns, while the whole eggs placed on top of the Casatiello symbolize the resurrection of Christ.

Course Bread

Cuisine Italian

Keyword casatiello, casiatello napoletano, Italian Easter Bread, Tortano

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Resting time 1 3

Total Time 1 4 30

Servings people

Calories 306kcal

Author Laura Tobin

Equipment

Ingredients

Dough

4 cups flour type 0 or all purpose
1 ½ cups fresh water
½ cup Lard
2 tablespoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt

Filling

½ cup Provola or Provolone
½ cup salted ricotta or Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup bacon or prosciutto
⅓ cup ham or mortadella
4 fresh eggs raw for the Casatiello and boiled for the Tortano
3 tablespoon Nduja optional
1 extra egg for brushing

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the dough the day before

For simplicity make the dough in the bread machine. Place all the ingredients in the bread machine and set the machine to DOUGH, no baking
4 cups flour type 0, 1 ½ cups fresh water, ½ cup Lard, 2 tablespoon instant yeast, 1 teaspoon salt
To make the dough with a stand mixer, follow the step-by-step instructions with images in the post and let it rest for one hour

Reinforcement Folds

Transfer the dough onto a well-floured work surface and press the dough down with your fingers.
Fold the upper section of the dough toward the center.
Turn the dough 90 degrees and execute another fold.
Continue this fold-and-turn procedure three times altogether.
Once the folds are finished, allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes in a warm spot.
Repeat the 20-minute resting period twice, giving the dough time to relax and the gluten to fully develop.
Transfer the dough into a large, oiled container that is airtight and store in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.

The next day

After refrigeration, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, enhancing its texture and making it easier to work with.

Preparing the Casatiello or Tortano

Chop the various ingredients for the filling in small pieces.
½ cup Provola, ½ cup salted ricotta, ⅓ cup bacon, ⅓ cup ham or mortadella, 3 tablespoon Nduja
For Tortano, add chopped hard-boiled eggs to the rest of the filling ingredients.
4 fresh eggs
Grease a round pan with a center hole with lard (for this recipe, I used a pan with 12 in - 30 cm in diameter)
Dust a work surface with flour and set aside a small piece of dough for decorating the Casatiello later.
Roll out the remaining dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle on the floured surface. Aim for the longer side to be roughly the same as the pan's circumference.
With a pastry brush, spread melted lard over the dough
Evenly distribute the filling ingredients over the dough.
For the Tortano add also the boiled eggs
4 fresh eggs
Roll the dough tightly from the long edge, and apply melted lard as you go.
Place the rolled dough in the prepared cake pan, forming a circle.
For the Casatiello, position the raw eggs on top of the dough, using the reserved dough to secure the eggs with two strips.
4 fresh eggs
Brush the top of the bread with egg wash to give it a nice colour
1 extra egg for brushing
Let the dough rise for 2 hours in a warm place.
Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C) and bake for one hour until golden brown.
After baking, let it cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes turning it over on a serving dish.
Loosen the edges with a spatula and turn it over on a serving dish.

Video

Notes

To show the difference between the two I am making the half on the left a Casatiello and the half on the right a Tortano

Nutrition