Crescia di Pasqua is a typical savory cake from Marche region which, as the name suggests, is traditionally prepared in proximity of Easter festivities.

Also known as “Cheese Cake” because of its main ingredient, it looks like a sort of very tall bread, spongy and crumbly with a very tasty flavor: a perfect accompaniment for cold cuts and red wine.

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

Medium size cake – pan diameter 10 inches

• 5 medium eggs
• 3 cups of 00 flour
• 5/8 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
• 5/8 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 0.36 cups of brewer’s yeast
• 1/2 cup of milk
• ¼ cup + 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• ground black pepper (plenty)
• 1/8 of kosher salt (depending on the flavor of the cheese)

 

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, break the five eggs and beat them vigorously.

Add the two types of grated cheese and mix with a utensil to obtain a homogeneous cream, then sprinkle generously with black pepper.

Add salt.

Next, dissolve the brewer’s yeast in the warm milk and add the mixture to the cream of eggs and cheese.

At this point you can begin to gradually add flour, oil and, if you like, cheese cubes.

The dough should be mixed, always with the help of a tool, until it becomes compact and very elastic. It remains a little sticky to the touch, although it comes away from the container with ease.

Knead it for several minutes until the dough is homogeneous and rather smooth.

For leavening, preheat the oven to 120 F and turn it off when the temperature is reached: this will create a warm and humid environment that will favor leavening.

Now grease a high pan with a diameter of about 10 inches, place the dough inside and put it in the oven.

It is important to leave the dough to rise for at least 4 hours without opening the oven door because the change in temperature could cause the dough to deflate.

At the end of leavening, when the dough has doubled its volume, again without opening the oven, turn on to 350 F and let it cook for 45 ° – at the end of which lower the temperature to 300 F and let it continue cooking for another 15/20 minutes.

Probe the crescia with a toothpick to check the internal cooking. Let cool in the oven with the door open, so as to have a progressive cooling while reducing the humidity of the room. Pair with cold cuts and good red wine.