Still doing your Colomba research? Stop here. We’ve got you. Biasetto Colomba just landed in the Bronx, and it’s the kind that makes your mouth water before the box is even open.
The springtime cousin of Panettone, this dove-shaped legend is all about that absurdly soft crumb, the kind that pulls apart in long feathery strands and disappears faster than you planned. Chef Biasetto taught us his quick quality tests to spot a top-notch Colomba:
1. THE GLAZE
The Colomba crown is a crackly almond-amaretto glaze, ultra-aromatic Italian almonds, and just enough crunch to keep things interesting. A good glaze should cover Colomba evenly and cling tightly to the cake.
2. THE ORANGE PERFUME
Each Colomba takes 36 hours to make. That’s twelve more than Biasetto’s super-awarded Panettone. Master Pastry Chef Luigi Biasetto refuses to rush the dough. Butter, honey, and candied oranges take their sweet time getting acquainted. The payoff is the intoxicating perfume that urges you to dive in immediately.
3. THE CRUMB
Slice a Colomba open and you should see small, elongated, irregular air pockets. No factory-perfect huge bubbles allowed.
Translation: this is the Colomba people pretend they’ll “save for Easter.” Good luck with that.