1. Here’s a note about timing: if you start at 9 am the day before you bake, you will be mixing the final dough at 5 pm. To bake the following morning, it can be shifted to later. For instance if you start at 12 noon, you will be mixing the final dough at 8 pm.

   A sample timeline looks like this:

   9:00 am dough #1 or start at 12:00 pm

   1:00 pm dough #2 4:00 pm

   5:00 pm Dough #3 8:00 pm

   Bake at 6:00 am Bake at 9:00 am

Dough #1 about 9:00 am

1. To make dough #1: Mix together by hand the sourdough starter, the water and the first part of the bread flour. Knead it until you get a smooth ball of dough. 
   

2. Place in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 4 hours. The dough should be puffed up and doubled in size.
   

3. You don’t need all of this dough. You will end up throwing out a little bit of it when you measure it out for the second dough. Or you can use the left over starter for another baking project, like a loaf of bread.
   

Dough #2 about 1:00 pm

1. To make dough #2: Stir the yeast into the the water and let stand for 5 minutes. It should start to bubble. 
   

2. Measure out the amount of Dough #1 that you need (315 grams about 1 1/3 cups) Discard the rest or reserve for another project.
   

3. Break up the measured out sourdough into several chunks and add them to the flour in a mixing bowl. Add the yeast, the 3 eggs and the sugar. Knead by machine or by hand until you get a very smooth ball of dough, about 5 to 8 minutes. 
   

4. The dough may take some work to get smooth, but it will eventually smooth out. 
   

5. Place in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise again for 3 to 4 hours or until the dough has quadrupled in size. 
   

   

Getting ready to mix final dough

1. Heavily butter and flour 4 12-cup Pandoro molds. You may use bundt pans (most of them are also 12 cups). A spiral fluted one would be beautiful. I use very soft room temperature butter. Using a pastry brush, I make sure all the nooks and crannies are coated in butter before I flour them.
   

   

Dough #3 about 5:00 pm

1. To Make dough #3 Melt the cocoa butter in the microwave until barely melted. Be careful! It will get very hot. Let cool for a bit, but not until it is cold.
   

2. In a mixer, whip the butter until it is light and fluffy. 
   

3. In a steady stream, while the mixer is still running, pour in the slightly cooled cocoa butter. Whip until the butter is light in color and doubled in volume.
   

4. Scrape out the butter and set aside. You can wipe out the remaining butter but no need to clean the bowl.  
   

5. Into the mixing bowl, stir together the flour and salt.
   

6. Break up dough #2 into 5 or so pieces and add to the flour mixture along with 9 of the eggs and the honey.
   

7. Using a dough hook, knead the dough for 6 to 7 minutes until the dough is smooth, cleans the sides of the bowl and is elastic.
   

8. Add in the remaining 3 eggs and knead until incorporated. 
   

9. Switch to the paddle attachment. To the kneaded dough add 3 egg yolks, vanilla, and vanilla bean paste.
   

10. Mix at low speed to start and then medium after the egg yolks have begun to mix in to prevent splashing. Beat until the egg has been completely mixed in. 
    

11. Add in the remaining 3 egg yolks and again mix until incorporated. The dough may take a while to mix completely. Have faith and continue to beat, scraping down the bowl and pushing the dough off the paddle if necessary.
    

12. At low speed, beat in half of the sugar.
    

13. Add the remaining sugar and beat until the dough is very smooth.
    

14. Now add half of the beaten butter mixture. Again, beat until it has been incorporated. You may need to push the dough from the paddle again and scrape the side of the bowl to get it to fully incorporate.
    

15. Repeat with the remaining butter. 
    

16. Add the almond flour and beat until the dough is very smooth and fully incorporated as this is the final step (whew!) 
    

Final rising about 6:00 pm

1. Divide the dough between the 4 buttered molds. It is really helpful to use a scale for this to get them even. The dough is almost pourable and you may find that it is easier to just get messy and use your hands to divide and move dough between the molds to get them evenly weighed. 
   

   

2. The dough will look like it would never get to the top of the molds, but they will eventually quadruple. 
   

3. Cover the filled molds loosely with plastic wrap.
   

4. Let rise for 11 to 12 hours. 
   

Baking about 5:00 am

1. The Pandoros will have risen to the top and have domed slightly over. At 11 hours carefully remove the plastic wrap. It’s ok if some of the dough sticks to the plastic wrap from the top of the dough.
   

2. At this point preheat the oven to 350°. If you are doing this over night you can go back to bed for a nap for 45 minutes to an hour. Let the oven completely preheat for at least 30 minutes. 
   

3. Bake the Pandoro for 40 to 50 minutes. The Pandoro will be very golden brown, and the center will look like it has fallen slightly in the center. This is normal. 
   

4. I find it easier to see if they are done by using an instant read thermometer at 205°- 210° 
   

5. Let the baked Pandoro rest in the molds for 20 minutes and then unmold to cool completely. 
   

6. Serve generously dusted in powdered sugar if desired. It can be cut into wedges or sliced from the top like stars.
   

7.