Torta al Formaggio di Pasqua Marchigiana

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white flour (tipo 0)
• 150 g natural starter (lievito madre), refreshed and active
• 4 eggs, whole, room temperature
• 80 g lard, plus extra for greasing the mould
• 150 g Pecorino, coarsely grated
• 100 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, aged
• 80 g Gruyère, cut into small cubes
• 1 tsp fine salt
• For the glaze
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with a drop of water
• Optional
• 1 pinch saffron, dissolved in 1 tbsp warm water

Method

1. 1
   Dissolve the active natural starter in a small amount of warm water. Combine with the flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Work the dough until it is smooth and has developed basic elasticity. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before the next. Add the salt. The dough is ready at this stage when it is cohesive, pulls away from the bowl wall and passes a rough windowpane test.
2. 2
   Cover the dough and allow it to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume. Only after this first rise is the gluten network strong enough to carry the enrichments without collapse.
3. 3
   Turn the risen dough onto the work surface. Gradually work in the lard in small pieces until fully absorbed. Then fold in the grated Pecorino, the finely grated Parmigiano, and the cubed Gruyère — and the saffron water if using. This is where the dish lives or dies: the cheeses and fat must be incorporated only now, into an already-developed dough; adding them earlier suppresses gluten formation and prevents the bread from rising to its characteristic height. Work the dough until the enrichments are evenly distributed and no streaks of fat remain — the dough will be soft, supple, and fragrant with cheese.
4. 4
   Grease a tall, straight-sided cylindrical mould generously with lard. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the mould. It should fill no more than one-third to one-half of the mould's height. Cover loosely and allow the dough to proof until it has doubled within the mould and domes just above the rim — the bread will not rise dramatically in the oven if this stage is cut short.
5. 5
   Heat the oven to 180 °C. Brush the domed surface of the dough with egg yolk beaten with a drop of water. Place the mould in the oven and cover it loosely with a sheet of foil or a lid for the first 20 minutes to allow maximum oven spring before the top begins to colour.
6. 6
   Remove the cover and continue baking until the top is a deep mahogany and the crust is firm and golden all around. Insert a skewer into the centre: it must come out clean. Confirm with a probe thermometer — the internal temperature must read 88 °C. Only at this point is the bread fully baked through its tall centre without being dry at the edges.
7. 7
   Remove from the oven and rest in the mould for 10 minutes before unmoulding onto a rack. The loaf should release cleanly from the lard-greased walls. Allow to cool before slicing horizontally. Serve with salumi and boiled eggs.