This is a traditional Easter cake in Italy, usually enriched with almonds and candied fruits.
Here we make chocolate version.
That’s a challenging recipe that requires several steps and the use of the food processor to allow creation of the gluten mesh.

INGREDIENTS (for 2 small doves):

FIRST DOUGH
- 15 gr of brewer's yeast
- 70 gr of sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 95 ml of water
- 70 gr of butter
- 250 gr of Manitoba flour

SECOND DOUGH
- first dough
- 70 gr of sugar
- 10 gr of honey
- 25 ml of water
- 3 egg yolks
- 175 gr of Manitoba flour
- 4 gr of salt
- 70 gr of butter
- 200 gr of chocolate chips
- grated zest of an organic orange

COVERAGE
- 200 gr of dark chocolate
- chocolate chips or flakes


First dough

Put the yeast and water inside the bowl of the mixer and dissolve well. Then add the sugar, half of the egg yolks and work for a few minutes. Add the sifted flour and start working the food processor at low speed until the dough is compact and dry. At this point, insert the remaining egg yolks and work again until it dries again. Meanwhile, cut the butter into small pieces and let it soften at room temperature. When the dough is ready, add the butter a little at a time and mix at low speed until everything is absorbed and the dough is very elastic.
Put the mixture obtained in a bowl covered with cling film and let it rise in a warm place (like oven off with light on) for about 4 hours. It will have to double in volume.

Second dough

The first dough will be well leavened. Remove it from the bowl and add the honey, sugar, water, half of the egg yolks and start working at low speed, then after a while add the sifted flour and salt. Work until the dough is dry. Now add the remaining egg yolks and knead until it is dry again. In the meantime, melt the butter and let it cool, pour it slowly while the food processor works. The dough will become sticky again, so knead until it is dry and elastic. Add the chocolate chips and work a little to keep them from unraveling. Turn the dough over onto the floured work surface, give it some folds, then cover it with a cloth and let it rest for about 40 minutes.

Divide it into 6 equal parts. Take each part and divide it into two parts, one corresponding to approximately 2/3. Obtain a cylinder from this and place it inside the mold, it will be the body of the dove. Take the remaining part, cut it in half, give each a cylindrical shape and put them in the mold, they will be the wings.
Do this with all six pieces of compost. At this point put it to rise again in the closed oven for another 4 hours or at least until it doubles its volume.

When the doves have risen, bake them in a preheated oven at 200° for the first 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 190° for another 20 - 25 minutes. However, check the cooking. Once ready, take them out and let them cool well.

Melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie, then cover the surface of the doves. Decorate with chocolate drops. Let the chocolate solidify before eating them.