Umbria — the torta di Pasqua al formaggio is a pan-Umbrian Easter tradition, produced in every household and bakery in the weeks before Easter. The preparation is most associated with the Perugia, Terni, and Foligno areas, though variations exist throughout the region.
Torta di Pasqua al formaggio is the Umbrian Easter bread — a tall, round, slightly sweet leavened bread enriched with eggs, olive oil, and generous quantities of grated Pecorino and Parmigiano mixed into the dough, producing a bread that is simultaneously savoury and rich, with a golden, open crumb that reveals the melted cheese pockets throughout. It is baked in tall cylindrical tins, rises magnificently in the oven, and is traditionally eaten on Easter morning with cured meats — salame, ciauscolo, and lonzino. The torta di Pasqua is made only at Easter; the rest of the year, the olive oil and egg enrichment is absent from Umbrian bread.
Torta di Pasqua al formaggio sliced reveals a golden-yellow crumb — the eggs and cheese give it a colour unlike any other bread. The flavour is rich and savoury, with the Pecorino tang running through the gentle sweetness of the enriched dough. On Easter morning with ciauscolo and hard-boiled eggs, it is the taste of Umbrian spring.
The dough: 500g 00 flour, 15g fresh yeast, 4 eggs, 80ml olive oil, 100g grated Pecorino, 50g grated Parmigiano, salt, black pepper, a pinch of sugar. Dissolve yeast in warm water; add to flour. Knead in eggs and olive oil progressively. The dough will be soft and sticky — do not add excess flour. Work in the grated cheeses and black pepper. First rise 2 hours; knock back. Shape into a cylinder; place in a tall, well-oiled cylindrical tin (fills to half). Second rise until the dough reaches the rim of the tin (1.5-2 hours). Bake at 180°C for 35-40 minutes until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped.
The torta di Pasqua requires patience — the enriched dough rises slowly because of the fat from eggs and oil. Do not rush either rise. The combination of Pecorino and Parmigiano is traditional; Pecorino alone makes it too sharp; Parmigiano alone lacks the tang. Some Umbrian bakers add cubed young Pecorino into the dough for molten cheese pockets in the finished bread.
Over-flouring the dough — the dough should be soft and slightly sticky; stiff dough produces a dense, compact torta. Not giving adequate second rise — the bread must reach the top of the tin before baking; rushing this produces a dense, poorly risen result. Using a regular bread tin — the tall cylindrical tin is traditional and produces the correct tall, imposing shape.
Anna Gosetti della Salda, Le Ricette Regionali Italiane; Slow Food Editore, Umbria in Cucina