Holidays are here but not for long.
Don’t forget to make a great little Christmas bread for your holiday feast! Why not learn how to make the classic Italian Panettone with tips? I just love this bread and all things about the Panettone. The flavors and shape remind me of all things Christmas. Here’s my “Christmas” list of the comparisons.
How the Panettone is ALL things Christmas: the Panettone is…
-sweet and only eaten once a year,
-whimsical and fun with its tall shape (like a Christmas tree),
-has its own-colored lights (dotted dried fruit),
-often given as a gift,
-wrapped in its own Christmas paper (parchment paper) with a bow,
-decorated with snow (powdered sugar) or lights (dried fruit and nuts),
-most everyone likes it and those who eat it look forward to it every year!
Are you sold on the Panettone yet?
Check out my newly uploaded video on How to Make the Classic Italian Panettone and watch the end to see my unpleasant surprise! I shouldn’t be surprised… its 2020. I’m over the surprises this year has brought! Needless to say, this bread took me 2 days (don’t ask!!)! BUT I’ve worked out the kinks, so you can make it in less than one flawlessly. 😊
I have updated the recipe from last year (see below), and I have a short video on how to make a makeshift Panettone bread mold using items commonly found in the kitchen. There’s no need to buy a Panettone pan OR order Panettone molds online. I’ve got you covered so you can make it today!
If you haven’t already, check out my Italian Panettone bake blog from last year full of history and yet another disaster. Do I ever learn from my mistakes? Well, I thought I had it under control this year. Yeah, right!
A Difficult Year Should End on a Positive Note.
As this is my favorite time of year, I’m glad I can close this holiday season with a successful bake. While this year has been full of lemons, hope is what keeps us going. May you feel blessed, hope, peace, and love as it comes to an end.
Italian Panettone
Ingredients
Yeast Sponge
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup milk
- 3½ tsp active dry yeast
- 1½ tsp honey
Dough
- 3½ + ¼ cups all-purpose flour divided
- 3 whole large eggs
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 1½ cups raisins or dried cranberries or mix of dried fruit
- ½ cup candied fruit diced homemade or store-bought
- ½ lemon zest
- ½ orange zest
- ½ cup = 1 stick butter
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Yeast Sponge
- In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the milk and honey and heat in the microwave for 45 seconds. The liquid should be warm to the touch and reach 100˚F-110˚F / 38˚C-43˚C, if using a thermometer. If it is cool, heat in 10 second intervals until warm.
- Whisk in the yeast and flour until the ingredients are smooth and dissolved. Set mixture aside for 10-15 minutes until the yeast is activated. It will be frothy and almost doubled in size.
Dough
- Soak the raisins or dried fruit (not candied fruit). Place the raisins or dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside the soaking fruit until ready to use them.
- While the yeast is foaming and the dried fruit is soaking, in a large bowl add the dry ingredients: 3½ cups flour, sugar, lemon and orange zests, and salt. Stir well.
- Melt the butter either in the microwave or on the stove top and set aside to cool down to below 115˚F / 46˚C but still melted.
- While the butter is cooling, make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
- Pour the activated yeast sponge in the flour well center. Then add the slightly cooled, melted butter, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts.
- Using a heavy-duty spoon or spatula, begin mixing the flour into the well with the wet ingredients. Continue to stir until combined. The dough should be dense, wet, and shaggy.
- Prepare a floured surface on which to knead. Scoop dough out onto the surface and knead adding in only enough flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Continue to knead for about 8 minutes until the dough is smooth is pliable.
- Form the dough into a ball and place it back into the large bowl sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap also sprayed with cooking spray. Set the bowl in a warm area for about 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
- In the meantime, drain the raisins (or dried fruit), pat dry with a paper towel, and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F / 177˚C.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for an additional 2-3 minutes. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that measures roughly 14" long x 12" wide (like you're making cinnamon rolls).
- Place the raisins (dried fruit), candied fruit, and the final ¼ cup flour into a bowl and mix well to coat. Pour the mixture into a strainer to shake off excess flour.
- Scatter the fruit mixture onto the rectangle dough and slightly press the fruit into the dough.
- Roll up the dough like a cinnamon roll starting at one long side to resemble a long log.
- Then, roll one end up like your making 1 large cinnamon roll (also looks like a snail). Manipulate the dough into a ball so that the creases are sealed and the fruit is under the dough. You can also clasp your hands lightly behind the ball of dough and gently pull the dough towards you with your hands, letting the dough scrape against the work surface. Repeat this process until the dough forms a smooth, round ball on all sides. This should seal all edges of the dough and create a firm, nicely round ball. If some fruit pulls through the dough, just add it back in as necessary.
- Place the ball into a Panettone form and on a cookie sheet for stability. If you don't have a Panettone parchment paper form, you could also use a round casserole dish, a Dutch oven or a 10-inch round cake pan with high sides.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and set it in a warm area to rise. It will take 2-3 hours. The dough should rise to, if not, above the Panettone form sides.
- Place in the 350˚F / 177˚C preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, place foil on top of the loaf to prevent it from overbrowning and decrease the temperature to 325˚F / 163˚C. Bake the Panettone for another 65 minutes. If you have a thermometer, check that the internal temperature is 190°F / 88°C before you remove the loaf.
- Set the baked Panettone aside to cool for 1 hour before slicing. Cut the Panettone into wedges and serve.
Video
Notes
Looking for the homemade candied fruit peels used in this bread bake? Check out my blog post with video!
Need a makeshift Panettone pan?
Homemade Panettone Form / Mold
Would you like another traditional holiday bread?
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!