Casatiello is a rustic cake, typical of Campania, that is generally prepared during the Easter holiday, along with other typical recipes of the area.
Let's discover the tradition and the recipe for an authentic casatiello together.
The difference between casatiello and tortano
Many people confuse the recipes for casatiello and tortano – even if they are not exactly the same (because eggs are used differently in both recipes).
In fact, the casatiello uses the eggs as a decoration where they are placed whole (and raw) on the surface of the cake, closed into the cake with little crosses made of dough.
In the tortano, however, hard-boiled eggs are used, cut into small pieces and added to the dough itself.
The casatiello tradition
This rustic cake filled with a variety of delicacies is served for breakfast or as a snack during the Easter holidays. It is perfect for packed lunches on Easter Monday when you’re used to organizing out-of-town trips with friends as we do in Italy!
Make it on the Friday before Easter Sunday (because it needs to rise all night and baked on Saturday morning).
The authentic casatiello is usually shaped like a donut, but some people prepare it in the shape of a traditional cake.
The classic (and revisited) filling
The classic filling is made with salami from Naples and mixed cheeses, but if you want, you can also dare to add a little something more. In some recipes, for example, you’ll find sausages and friarielli or other typical ingredients of Campania cuisine.
The Recipe: Casatiello
Dissolve 2 oz brewer's yeast in a cup of lukewarm water. Then place 1 kg flour on a pastry board in a fountain shape. Add the yeast mixture, 4 oz lard, a pinch of salt and pepper and some lukewarm water in the middle to create a smooth dough.
Knead the dough for about ten minutes in a stationary mixer or by hand by beating it on the pastry board with a good amount of force.
Then let it rise for two hours in a lightly oiled container covered with a cloth.
In the meantime, dice 1 lb mixed cheeses (i.e. spicy provolone, grana, Emmental, and fontina) and 1 lb salame napoletana. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and fill the mixture with these ingredients once rolled out with a rolling pin.
At this point, you can go one of two ways: either work the dough again and mix it with the cheese and cold cuts, or roll the dough onto the filling in a spiral shape, creating a long roll to place inside a donut mold (greased with lard and lightly floured).
Place (well-washed and dried) eggs on the surface of the roll and close with crosses made from leftover dough. Let everything rise for another hour and then bake at 350°F for about an hour until the surface is golden (and the casatiello doesn’t come off the edges of the mold).
Serve it warm, though it’s also delicious cold.