Neapolitan casatiello

Name: Neapolitan casatiello
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: Type 0 flour 8 cups; Water at room temperature 2 ½ cups; Lard 14 tbsp; Fine salt 4 tsp; Brewer's yeast 5 tsp; Neapolitan salami 14 oz; Provolone cheese mildly spicy 0.9 lb; Cicoli (fried pork fat) 14.1 oz; Pecorino Romano PDO cheese 7.1 oz; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese (to be grated) 4.3 oz; Black pepper to taste; Eggs 5; Lard to taste

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 60 min
Serving: 10
Cost: Average
Note + rising time (at least 4 h total.)

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Davide Civitiello

Neapolitan casatiello is the kind of traditional Easter bread that, to be honest, really shows off the rich flavors and tender textures of Campania's food scene. And during Easter, folks in Naples love this bread. I mean, it's the centerpiece with its ring shape and whole eggs perched on top—like little golden crosses tucked in with dough strips. And look, it is not just about looks. Those eggs carry special meaning, hinting at traditions and setting this bread apart from others, like tortano, where eggs are hidden inside.

This Italian stuffed bread is packed with salami, pecorino, provolone, and local cicoli (pork cracklings)—all wrapped up in a soft, moist dough. Seriously good. It's a bit crispy around the edges. The recipe blends salty meats with creamy cheeses in every bite, and you know what, it’s loaded with history too. Around Campania, people sometimes put their spin on casatiello, like 'casatiello stracciato,' which uses a slightly different method but sticks to the idea of festive, savory Easter bread. The classic version always comes back to rich fillings and the special touch of lard, giving the bread its super tender crumb. Which is great.

When Easter rolls around, this is not just food; it’s a celebration. A sign of family, connecting everyone at the table to those old-school Neapolitan roots. Some families might swap different cheeses or use more cicoli—depends on what they like best—but the dish’s spirit never changes. It's common to see Neapolitan Easter bread sliced up as a snack during a big family gathering or packed for a picnic on Easter Monday. For sure. Sharing this bread is more than just eating—it's about keeping a piece of Campania's heritage alive, making the holiday feel really really special with every rich, savory bite. Whether enjoyed at home or on a sunny picnic, casatiello brings warmth and tradition, making any Easter celebration feel complete and way way Neapolitan. Enjoying this delicious bread is like tasting a bit of history—wrapped in the comfort of family and festivity.

INGREDIENTS

For the dough (for a ring mold measuring 12 5/8 in at the rim and 11 7/16 in at the base, 4 5/16 in high): Type 0 flour 8 cups (1 kg); Water 2 ½ cups (600 g) - at room temperature; Lard 14 tbsp (200 g); Fine salt 4 tsp (25 g); Brewer's yeast 5 tsp (15 g)

For the filling: Neapolitan salami 14 oz (400 g); Provolone cheese 0.9 lb (400 g) - mildly spicy; Cicoli (fried pork fat) 14.1 oz (400 g); Pecorino Romano PDO cheese 7.1 oz (200 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 4.3 oz (120 g) - (to be grated); Black pepper to taste

For decorating: Eggs 5

For greasing and brushing: Lard to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Neapolitan casatiello

To prepare the Neapolitan casatiello, pour the flour and the dry yeast into a bowl 1, mix well to distribute it evenly 2, then stream in the water little by little, mixing by hand 3 with circular motions.

Once all the flour is incorporated, add the salt 4, mix to combine 5, then place the lard in the center of the dough 6.

Lift strips of dough from the bottom toward the center to incorporate it evenly. Continue kneading until it is well combined 7, then transfer the dough ball to the work surface 8, perform a few folds, and shape the dough into a ball 9.

Transfer the dough to a bowl 10, cover with plastic wrap 11 and let rise at room temperature for 3 hours. Take care of the filling: cut the provolone into cubes of about 1 cm (about 3/8 in) 12.

Do the same with the cicoli 13 and the salami 14. Take back the risen dough, which will have doubled in volume 15.

Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface 16, stretch it with your hands 17 to create a rectangle about 5/8 in thick (about 1.5 cm) 18.

Trim the edge 19 to obtain a rectangle of about 19 11/16 x 27 9/16 inches (50 x 70 cm) 20. Reserve the leftover dough for decoration. Fill with the provolone 21, distributing it evenly but taking care to leave about 2 cm (about 3/4 in) of the edge free from filling.

Continue with the cicoli 22 and the salami 23, then season with grated pecorino and Parmesan 24.

Pepper to taste 25, lift the long side 26 and roll the dough 27.

Press the dough at the closing point 28, cut off the ends 29 and join them to create a ring 30; to keep them firmly sealed, insert one end into the other, lifting the dough.

Grease a 12 5/8 in ring mold with lard 31. Place the casatiello in the pan 32 33.

Insert 5 whole eggs at equal distances 34. Take the remaining dough and cut it into very thin strips 35. Use these small strips to form a cross over the eggs 36.

Brush the surface with melted lard 37 and let rise again for 1 hour at room temperature. Then bake in a preheated conventional oven at 356F on the lower rack for about 50 minutes, then continue for another 10 minutes at 392F on the upper rack 38. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and then serve your homemade Neapolitan casatiello 39.

Storage

The casatiello can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container. You can freeze it after baking and letting it cool completely, possibly already sliced.

Tip

The original casatiello recipe calls for lard, but if you prefer you can replace it with the same amount of butter or extra virgin olive oil. To achieve an optimal proofing temperature you can leave the dough inside the turned-off oven with the light on or cover the bowl with a wool blanket, as was traditionally done!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

Neapolitan casatiello

PRESENTATION

INGREDIENTS

How to prepare Neapolitan casatiello

Storage

Tip

RELATED RECIPES