Just like Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas in Italy without panettone and/or pandoro, Easter wouldn’t be Easter in Italy without la colomba (the dove).
The leavened sweet, shaped like the bird whose name it bears, comprises a panettone-like dough made from flour, eggs, sugar, natural yeast, and butter. Candied citrus (no raisins) speckle the fluffy golden interior while almonds and pearlized sugar decorate the top.
And when it comes to leavened delights, my heart belongs to Olivieri 1882. The Vicenza-based artisan bakery took the U.S. by storm in 2020 when the owners decided to ship panettone and pandoro to the U.S. in 48 hours. This past Christmas, they went one step further, opening panettone pop-ups at several North American Eataly locations.
Exciting news: Olivieri’s Easter colomba can arrive at one’s stateside doorstep in 48 hours too. In addition to the classic version, fourth-generation baker Nicola Olivieri has devised seven flavors for non-conformists looking to deviate from tradition or those who simply want another option on the table: apple, raisin, and cinnamon; apricot and salted cameral; Amarena (sour cherry); peach; white chocolate and frutti di bosco (red fruit); pear and chocolate; and triple chocolate.
This year, Olivieri 1882 stands in solidarity with Ukraine, donating the proceeds from its Easter colomba sales to Città della Speranza (City of Hope), a Vicenza-based foundation collecting funds to help Ukrainian children battling cancer. This initiative isn’t the company’s first foray into charitable activities, having supported hospitals in the Vicenza area during the first Covid-19 emergency in 2020.
For a taste of Italy on the Easter table, U.S. customers can head to Olivieri 1882’s online U.S. shop. Each costs $75 and includes 48-hour shipping, while European shoppers can click here—the colombe cost 38€ on this side of the pond.
Easter is just two weeks away, and Oliveri is currently fully stocked. But it won’t be for long! Thankfully, I ordered my classic and salted caramel with apricot weeks ago, so I’m (almost) ready to go–I just got to sort out the pastiera situation.
