Vegetarian Danube
- Vegetarian
- Difficulty: Average
- Prep time: 50 min
- Cook time: 35 min
- Makes: 27 pieces
- Cost: Average
- Note + the time for double rising
PRESENTATION
Vegetarian danubio brings the fun of Neapolitan brioche to your table, but with a fresh twist on tradition. In Southern Italy, danubio usually shows up at parties and family gatherings. I mean, it’s often stuffed with things like salami or gooey cheeses. This vegetarian danubio recipe skips the meat and goes all in with a mix of colorful veggies. Really, it’s a great pick when you want something a bit lighter but still super satisfying. And people love how these soft and aromatic little spheres pull apart. Every bite gives you a taste of that sweet-smelling savory pull-apart bread. The dough is pre-activated, which helps it get extra tender and fluffy. And the scent? Pretty much impossible to ignore. With each piece, you get a little bundle of moist, veggie-filled goodness, making this Italian stuffed bread a real crowd-pleaser.
Every region in Campania seems to have their own take on this kind of vegetarian Italian bread. The best part? How flexible the filling gets. For real. People use everything from peppers and zucchini to soft cheeses and herbs, so the inside can be as colorful and creamy as you want. The outside stays golden and slightly crisp, while the inside stays soft from the steam trapped in the dough as it bakes. This easy vegetarian baking idea works as a snack, a party starter, or even a fun lunch. Especially when you want something that brings everyone together. It’s got all the comforting things people love about cheese-filled bread, just with a Mediterranean twist from the fresh vegetables. Plus, that pull-apart style means you get to share—and trust me, it disappears fast. Grab a piece, tear it open, and you’ll see why this savory pull-apart bread is such a hit in Southern Italy. Especially when you want food that feels special but still keeps things relaxed and hands-on. Whether you're gathering with family or having a casual get-together, this dish adds a touch of Italian charm to any occasion. Seriously good.
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INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for 27 balls
- Manitoba flour 4 ½ cups (550 g)
- Whole milk 1 cup (230 g)
- Extra virgin olive oil 3 ½ tbsp (50 g)
- Sugar 2 ½ tbsp (30 g)
- Fine salt 1.7 tsp (10 g)
- Eggs 2.3 oz (65 g) - (approximately 1)
- Brewer's yeast 0.8 tsp (4 g)
- for the spinach filling
- Spinach 1 ¾ cup (50 g)
- Garlic 1 clove
- Extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp (5 g)
- Ricotta cheese ¼ cup (50 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- for the tomato filling
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil 1.8 oz (50 g)
- Salted ricotta cheese 1.4 oz (40 g)
- for the mushroom filling
- Champignon mushrooms 1 ⅛ cup (80 g)
- Caciotta romana cheese 1.75 oz (50 g)
- Extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp (10 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
How to prepare Vegetarian Danube
To prepare the vegetarian danube, start with the dough. In a bowl, pour the flour (use Manitoba or all-purpose flour) along with the sugar and dried yeast 1. While kneading, slowly add the lukewarm milk 2 and then the egg 3.
Add the oil 4 and finally the salt 5 and continue to mix the ingredients until they are compacted 6.
At this point, transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it by hand 7: stretch the dough and then roll it back up and continue like this for about ten minutes 8, this way you will incorporate air and warm the dough. Finally, form a sphere and place it in a container, covering it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 3-4 hours in the oven with the light on 9.
In the meantime, prepare the fillings. In a pan, pour some oil along with the garlic and when it's hot, add the spinach 10, cover with a lid 11, and cook over high heat for a few minutes, just enough to wilt the leaves. When the spinach is softened, adjust with salt, remove the garlic 12
and then let them cool and drain any excess liquid by placing them in a container with a sieve 13. Next, pour the ricotta into the bowl of an immersion mixer 14, add the spinach, and blend 15
until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream that you can transfer to a container and set aside 16. Move on to the mushrooms, after rinsing them quickly under water, remove the lower part and slice them 17 before chopping them into cubes 18.
Place the cubes in a pan with some oil, and let them cook for a few minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper 19; once cooked, let them cool by keeping them in a container 20. Cut the cheese and sundried tomatoes preserved in oil into small cubes 21
and grate the salted ricotta 23 and take the danube dough, which should now be well risen and doubled in volume 24.
Divide the dough into 27 small spheres 25, flatten them with your fingers or a rolling pin, and start adding the 3 fillings in the center, alternating them. So, in the center of a disc, add a bit of the spinach blended with ricotta 26 and close by pinching the edges with your fingers, ensuring there are no open spaces from which the filling might leak 27
and finally round them until forming a ball 28. Repeat the same process with the other ingredients, with mushrooms and cubed cheese 29 and then with sundried tomatoes and grated ricotta 30
Line a round baking tray with parchment paper with a diameter of 12.6 inches and place the filled balls one by one 31, alternating the various flavors. It is important that the closure of the sphere faces downwards, this way the balls will not open during baking. Cover the danube with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about an hour 32. When it is puffed up again, crack an egg and beat it lightly with a fork 33.
Then use it to brush the surface of each ball 34. You just need to bake it at 356°F for 30-35 minutes in static mode (320°F for 25-30 minutes if using a fan oven) 35, when the vegetarian danube is nicely golden, you can serve it while still warm 36!