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Traditional Forki Easter Mona
The Traditional Forki Easter Mona is a soft and fluffy pastry, made with strong flour and water, thanks to an active sourdough starter refreshed the day before.
bread
flour
oven
cake
dessert
traditional
Ingredients
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 100 gstrong flour
  • 60 mlwater
  • 50 gactive sourdough starter (refreshed the day before)
  • 210 gTuna

Ingredients

  • of the sourdough, if we have chosen Option-1 or of the prepared preferment, if we have chosen Option-2 or Option-3 or fresh baker's yeast if we choose Option-4 to make it directly with yeast, without preferment
  • 250 gstrong flour
  • 70 mlwater or milk (note: initially we will not add all, just a little to infuse the spices). Depending on the weight of the eggs, it may not be necessary to add all.
  • 2 gOPTIONAL: fresh compressed yeast (or dry 1.5 grs)
  • 2 medium-sized eggs
  • 50 gbutter or lard at room temperature
  • 50 gsugar
  • 3 gsalt
  • 20 mlanise (*)
  • 10 mlmuscat (*)
  • 2 gcinnamon powder
  • 5 ganise passed through the mortar
  • 1 grated nutmeg
  • 1 ground clove crushed by mortar and pestle
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 15 ghoney
  • For decorating
  • 1 egg yolk for brushing
  • milk for painting
  • 2 tablespoonswhite sugar
  • OPTIONAL: for decorating the mona
Nutritional Information

Per Serving (Approx.)

Calories
926 kcal
Protein
43 g
Fat
36 g
Carbohydrates
110 g

Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.

Step-by-step Guide

Prepare a Preferment

  • Separate 50 grams of the sourdough starter in a bowl and refresh it according to your usual method, ensuring that the dough is neither too sticky nor too hard. Pour the dough onto a floured counter.
  • Add 50 grams of flour and knead the dough for 4-6 minutes until it becomes smooth and manageable.
  • Incorporate 50 milliliters of water and continue kneading until the dough is slightly tacky but not sticky.
  • Let the dough rest in a bowl lightly greased with oil, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for 2-4 hours, or until it doubles in size.
  • After this time, pour the dough onto the counter and gently knead it to remove the air. Return the dough to the covered bowl and place it in the refrigerator until the next day (it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days). If you prefer, you can freeze it instead of refrigerating it.

The next morning: Refresh the s

  • In the morning, refresh the dough again. Remove the pre-ferment from the refrigerator and leave it in the bowl to reach room temperature. This will take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes before using it according to the chosen option. This option would be for kneading the Easter cake dough.
  • Knead for 5-6 minutes until the dough is homogeneous and smooth.
  • Let the dough rest in the covered bowl for a few hours. This will help the dough develop flavors.
  • Let the dough rest for about 2 hours before using it to knead the Easter cake dough.

Preliminary Preparations

  • If we want to place hard-boiled eggs on the Easter cake, we should cook them well in advance so they cool before embedding them into the cake. Therefore, I recommend boiling the eggs for 10 minutes, cooling them under cold water, and letting them rest for at least 30 minutes before decorating the cake.
  • Option 1: If we are making the mona with sourdough, we need to refresh the sourdough in the morning and let it rest for about 5-6 hours before using it. This will allow it to reach the appropriate temperature and texture for working with.
  • Option 2 and Option 3: If we are preparing the mona with a preferment made the day before, it should be taken out of the fridge 1.5 to 2 hours before using. This will allow the preferment to reach room temperature and reactivate the yeast for a better rise.
  • Option 4: If we are making the mona directly with fresh yeast, dissolve the yeast in a little warm milk (around 35°C) about 30 minutes before using it. This will help activate the yeast and ensure good dough rise.
  • Leave the butter out of the fridge for at least an hour so it softens slightly and can be easily mixed with other ingredients. The butter should be soft to the touch but not completely melted.
  • Sift the flour to aerate it and avoid lumps in the dough. Although this step is optional, it is recommended for obtaining a finer texture.

Aromatize a bit of the milk with the spices

  • Crush the clove and anise seeds in a mortar until they are well ground.
  • Transfer the crushed spices to the Pymer bowl or a coffee grinder and add the grated nutmeg and ground cinnamon. Grind everything together until as fine as possible.
  • Heat half of the milk in a saucepan until it reaches about 45 °C. Once it reaches the temperature, add the crushed spices and let them infuse for 10 minutes. Set aside.
  • You may not need to use the rest of the milk if the eggs are large, but keep it on hand in case it’s necessary.

Knead the Dough

  • In a large bowl, mix the sugar, honey, butter at room temperature or in small pieces, and salt.
  • Next, add the portion of milk with the already infused spices or the spices crushed in the mortar.
  • Gradually incorporate the remaining milk (or water).
  • Add the grated lemon peel.
  • Pour in the anise and the muscatel.
  • Incorporate the chosen yeast (sourdough, preferment, or fresh yeast dissolved in a little milk).
  • Mix with your fingers until all the ingredients are well integrated.
  • If using a mixer, mix with the K beater or the whisk attachment for 4 minutes.
  • Add the eggs and continue mixing until fully incorporated.
  • If using the mixer, continue with the K beater or the whisk attachment.
  • Incorporate 3/4 of the sifted flour, not all at once, since depending on the size of the eggs, the dough may require more or less. Continue kneading in the bowl, folding the dough over itself and continuously rotating the bowl.
  • Gradually add the remaining flour, spoonful by spoonful, and knead until the dough is homogeneous and detaches from the sides of the bowl. This can take quite some time. It may not be necessary to add all of the milk.
  • Using the mixer, continue working with the K-beater or the wire whisk until everything is well mixed.
  • Change the K-beater to the dough hook and knead for 7-8 minutes.
  • Knead with the dough hook for 10-12 minutes (5 minutes at slow speed and the remaining time at medium speed) until it detaches. If it doesn’t, repeat the cycle of 5 minutes of resting and kneading until it comes off and forms a ball that still adheres to the bottom of the bowl.
  • Once it detaches, pour the dough onto the countertop and work it by stretching and folding to incorporate air, for about 5 more minutes. With the palm of your hand, stretch the dough and then fold it over itself to develop the gluten.
  • Mix the previously stretched dough with the kneading using the Bertinet method to aerate and bind the dough.
  • Grab the dough from underneath with both hands and direct it toward the center.
  • Stretch it towards yourself while lifting it off the countertop.
  • Slam the dough against the countertop from a certain height to elongate it.
  • The part held by the hands folds over the section spread out on the countertop, and we start again.

Form the Crown

  • There are two ways to form the wreath: you can choose the option that best suits your needs.
  • Gradually enlarge an initial central hole in the dough with the help of your fingers until you reach the desired size.
  • Shape a bar and close it over itself to form a circle. If you want to fill it, first shape the bar and then close it. Place parchment paper on the baking tray. Lightly grease or flour the countertop, pour the dough directly onto the parchment paper, and roll it out with a rolling pin to give it a slightly trapezoidal shape.
  • Now, with your hands, make a hole in the middle of the dough and gradually enlarge it until you achieve a diameter of about 30 cm. If the dough contracts, let it rest for a few minutes. Place the bar on the baking tray on lightly greased parchment paper if not filled.
  • Let the bar rest for 5 minutes to allow the dough to relax before giving it its final shape.
  • Fold the dough over itself to form a perfect ring, ensuring the edges are well sealed.
  • 3rd fermentation: Allow the formed bread to rest to ensure the volume increases.
  • Once the ring is formed, embed hard-boiled eggs around if desired (optional).
  • Brush the ring with egg yolk slightly diluted with a bit of water or milk to achieve a golden finish.
  • Let it rest for the third time for 2 hours in a place away from drafts to prevent drying.
  • We can leave it inside the oven (with the oven turned off) to keep it protected.
  • When 35 minutes remain before baking, remove the cake from the oven and preheat the oven to 180ºC.
  • Before baking, brush it again with egg yolk slightly diluted in a bit of water or milk to improve its appearance.
  • Take 2 tablespoons of white sugar on a small plate, moisten it with a few drops of water, and sprinkle it over the cake to achieve a crunchy topping.

Bake

  • Preheat the oven to 180ºC and bake the dish for approximately 30 minutes, until the surface is golden and the interior is cooked.
  • When removing the dish from the oven, place it on a rack and allow it to cool completely for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Recommendations & Tricks
  • Keep in mind that this is a lightly enriched brioche dough, so make sure it rises three times until it doubles in volume during each rise to achieve the proper texture.
  • Prepare the dough the day before Easter and bake it the next morning to ensure better flavor development and structure.
  • Option-1 with sourdough starter: Refresh the sourdough starter for two consecutive days to ensure it's very active; do this with a 1:1:1 ratio (starter, water, and flour) to make it ready for fermentation.
  • Option-2 with fresh yeast: Mix 100 grams of strong flour, 100 grams of water, and 5 grams of fresh yeast, and let it rest for 12 hours at room temperature to prepare the preferment.
  • Option-3 with dry baker's yeast: Mix 100 grams of strong flour, 100 grams of water, and 3 grams of dried yeast, and let the mixture rest for 12 hours at room temperature for an effective preferment.
  • Option-4: If you're short on time, you can make the dough directly with 10 grams of fresh yeast on the same day, ensuring you let it rest until it doubles in volume.
  • When preparing the preferment, cover it with a clean kitchen cloth to prevent drying out and place it in a warm spot for optimal fermentation.
  • To enhance the final flavor of the mona, try adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract or orange zest to the dough.