Authentic Prato Peach Pastry (Pesche di Prato)
A delightful Tuscan pastry mimicking peaches in appearance, with a brioche base and creamy filling.
Servings: 20 peaches
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Stand mixer with dough hook (optional)
- Baking sheet
- Baking sheet
- Small knife
- Small pot
- Piping bag (optional)
Ingredients
For the Dough (Biga):
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup room temperature water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp softened butter
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp fresh yeast
For the Final Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2½ tbsp softened butter
- 2 tbsp acacia honey
- 1¾ tsp salt
- Zest of 1 orange
- Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
For the Pastry Cream:
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2½ tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2½ tbsp cornstarch
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Seeds of ½ vanilla bean
- Pinch of salt
For the Alkermes Syrup:
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup Alkermes liqueur
- 3½ tbsp glucose syrup
For Garnishing:
- Candied orange peel as needed
Instructions
- Prepare the Biga: In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, butter, egg, and yeast with most of the water. Combine until smooth. If too dry, add the remaining water. Form into a ball, cover with flour, and let rise for 1-1.5 hours until nearly tripled in volume.
- Make Final Dough: Add the biga and additional flour to a mixer. Incorporate sugar, butter, most of the eggs, honey, salt, orange zest, and vanilla seeds. Mix at low speed, then increase until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides. Let it rise again for about 1.5 hours, until doubled.
- Shape Dough: Divide the dough into small portions (about 12 grams each). Roll into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently flatten all the balls to give them a slightly flat shape. Let rise for 2 hours.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 392°F (200°C). Bake the dough balls for 6-7 minutes until golden. Let cool.
- Prepare Pastry Cream: Heat milk, cream, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds. In another pot, whisk half the sugar with flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add warm milk mixture and egg yolks. Cook until thick, cool in an ice bath, and transfer to a piping bag.
- Make Alkermes Syrup: Boil water, sugar, and glucose. Cool, then add Alkermes.
- Assemble Peaches: Cut a slit in each dough ball. Dip in Alkermes syrup, than use pastry cream to pair up two dough ball and form peach shapes.
- Finish: Roll the assembled pastries in sugar and garnish with candied orange peel, mimicking the peach's stem.
- Store: Keep in the refrigerator for up to a day.
Notes
- Listen to the dough during mixing for the right consistency.
- Infuse vanilla in milk and lemon zest in cream overnight for a more aromatic cream.
- Weighing ingredients precisely ensures balance in the recipe.
