Panettone

I had never heard of Panettone before I started dating my Italian boyfriend when I was in my 20s’. As we had been seeing each other for a while, we spent the Christmas Holidays with both of our families and that is when I was introduced to this amazing bread…
 
Carlos grew up in Saint-Léonard, a borough of Montréal with a high concentration of Italian-Canadians. Besides his Italian friends from the neighborhood, he also had his Québécois buddies so he wasn’t a stranger to our traditional Holiday dishes. I, on the other hand, was never officially introduced to Italian cuisine besides going out to their “ristoranti”. As you may know, what’s on the menu doesn’t really reflect the true Holiday dishes that you will find on Italians’ tables…
 
A couple of weeks before Christmas, his mother gave us a tall, round bread which looked a lot like a gigantic muffin. She told me it was one of her favorite breads that she liked to make in early December. To her, making her Panettone along with Biscotti set the tone for the upcoming celebration! I couldn’t agree more with her after I had a big piece for breakfast… I was “hooked” by the taste of it as well as this Italian Holiday ritual!
 
Although Carlos and I went our separate ways over 30 years ago, I still like to carry on this tradition. Every year, I bake this bread on either the 1st or 2nd week of December so it can be enjoyed during the month with a cup of coffee, tea, espresso or a caffè latte. What I like about my recipe contrary to others out there is that mine can be prepped, baked and eaten on the same day without compromising the tasty results!
 
This recipe can be made with or without a bread machine. For Club Foody, I’m showing you how to make this lovely bread without the machine so everyone can make it. Last year, I also showed you how to make your own Candied Fruits. It’s an easy recipe and if you do a lot of holiday baking that includes Christmas Stollen, Fruitcake or this Panettone, it’s definitely a great recipe to add to your folder.
 
The foods that I make during the Holidays are influenced by a combination of people and events I’ve met and experienced in my life. That is what made me who I am today. Like many dishes, this Panettone reflects a period in my life which has become a Holiday ritual that returns every December…
Bon Appétit!
 
Check out these other delicious Holiday recipes…
– Biscotti
– Squash à la Canadienne
– Spicy Gingerbread Cookies
– Old Fashioned Stuffing with Giblets
– Christmas Stollen
– Citrus Cranberry Sauce
– Cognac Chicken Liver Pâté
and for even more bread recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Bread
 

 
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Panettone

Most panettone recipes out there take days to prepare but with this delicious one, you can make your Panettone and eat it too... on the same day!

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Servings 1 loaf

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Passive Time 5 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

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FRUIT MIXTURE

• 1 cup dark raisins
• 1 cup sultanas aka golden raisins
• 2 tbsp. dark rum
• 2 tbsp. warm water, to soak raisins
• 1 cup candied fruits see Recipe

DOUGH

• 1 tbsp. active yeast
• 1 cup warm water (between 105º to 110º)
• 1/4 cup agave nectar tips & tricks
• 3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, or 2 more tbsp. if needed, plus a little more for work surface and kneading
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 tbsp. orange zest
• 1 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt
• 3 large free-run eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. pure lemon extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for hands, the panettone pan and paper mold
• grapeseed oil for greasing the bowl, as needed tips & tricks
• egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp. milk)

Directions

 

FRUIT MIXTURE

• In a bowl, combine golden raisins with dark raisins. Add rum and warm water, stir and let sit for 2 hours.
• One hour later, add candied fruits, stir and let sit for the remaining time; stir often so the fruits can absorb the liquid.

DOUGH

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, warm water and agave nectar. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, lemon & orange zest and sea salt. Whisk for 2-3 minutes to incorporate air; set aside.
• In another bowl, beat together eggs, vanilla and lemon extract; set aside.
• With the dough hook attachment, add flour mixture to the yeast and on low speed, process until the ingredients are well blended, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
• Add the beaten egg mixture and ¼ cup of butter; process on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ¼ cup of butter and scrape the sides of the bowl.
• Increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough for 20 minutes, stopping frequently to clean the sides of the bowl. At the end, if it’s too sticky, add 2 tbsp. flour and knead for another 2 minutes.
• With hands greased with butter, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top and work the dough into a large disk. Add half of the fruit mixture along with the liquid left at the bottom of the bowl, and keep rotating the dough until incorporated - if the dough sticks, add more flour.
• Add half of the remaining fruit mixture and continue with the same technique. It would seem that there’s not enough dough for the amount of fruits so spread the dough into a rectangular shape and add more fruit in the center, folding it over until all the fruit is used.
• Form a ball and transfer the dough into a large bowl greased with grapeseed oil or any other flavorless oil.
• Cover the lightly oiled bowl with plastic wrap followed with a clean dish towel.
• Place the bowl in a draft-free spot such as the oven (temperature off) and let it rise for 2-3 hours or until it triples in size.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and with hands greased with butter, knead the dough into a ball by pulling under.
• Place the dough seam side down in a Panettone paper mold greased with butter. Pop it into a butter-greased Panettone pan, cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel.
• Transfer back to its draft-free spot and let it proof for 1 to 2 hours or until the dough rises above the top of the pan.
• Remove from its spot.
• Preheat oven to 375ºF.
• Carefully peel off the plastic wrap and gently brush the top with an egg wash. If desired, sprinkle on some powdered sugar on top.
• Transfer the loaf to the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out moist but not wet.
• Turn off the heat and leave the bread in the oven with the door ajar to prevent it from deflating – 30 minutes should be sufficient. Let the Panettone cool completely before serving.
• To store, wrap the Panettone with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil; keeps for 1 week at room temperature.

Notes

Kitchen Tools: The Panettone Pan and the Paper Mold can be purchased in the "SHOP" section of Club Foody

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