Panettone

Before you start

Panettone is the tall, domed Italian Christmas bread with a crumb so soft and stringy it pulls apart in feathery strands. Bakeries make it with a natural sweet starter and days of work. This home version uses a pinch of commercial yeast and a two-stage dough to get much of that flavor and texture on a manageable schedule.

The first dough ferments overnight and builds strength and aroma. The second stage adds more flour, sugar, yolks and a lot of butter, which goes in gradually so the gluten can absorb it without tearing. Expect slow rises; enriched dough this heavy needs hours. The last essential step is hanging the hot loaf upside down to cool, because the crumb is too soft to support itself and will collapse if left upright.

Ingredients

• First dough175 g (1½ cups) bread flour
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) lukewarm water
• 45 g (3½ tbsp) granulated sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 g (¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 45 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter — very soft
• Final dough100 g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) bread flour
• 45 g (3½ tbsp) granulated sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 20 ml (4 tsp) water
• 3 g (1 tsp) instant yeast
• 4 g (¾ tsp) fine salt
• 1 tbsp (21 g) honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 each orange and lemon — finely grated zest
• 70 g (5 tbsp) unsalted butter — soft but still cool, about 18°C (65°F)
• Fruit90 g (⅔ cup) raisins — soaked 15 minutes in warm water, drained and dried
• 50 g (⅓ cup) diced candied orange peel

Method

1. First dough (evening): mix the 175 g flour, water, sugar, yolks and 1 g yeast in the mixer on low until combined, then knead on medium for 5 minutes. Add the 45 g soft butter in two additions and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl, about 5 minutes more.
2. Cover and leave at 21 to 24°C (70 to 75°F) for 10 to 12 hours, until it has roughly tripled and the surface is domed and bubbly.
3. Final dough (morning): add the 100 g flour, sugar, yolks, water, 3 g yeast, honey, vanilla and zests to the first dough. Mix on low for 2 minutes, then knead on medium for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is glossy, elastic and clears the sides of the bowl.
4. Add the salt, then the 70 g butter one tablespoon at a time, waiting until each piece disappears before adding the next. This takes about 10 minutes. The finished dough should stretch into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing. If the dough gets warmer than 26°C (79°F), chill the bowl for 10 minutes before continuing.
5. On low speed, mix in the drained raisins and candied peel just until evenly distributed. Cover and let rise for 90 minutes; it will grow by about half.
6. Butter your hands and the counter lightly. Round the dough gently into a smooth ball, tucking any exposed fruit underneath, and drop it into the paper mold set on a baking sheet. It should fill the mold about one-third full.
7. Cover loosely and proof at 24 to 27°C (75 to 80°F) for 4 to 6 hours, until the dome reaches about 2 cm (¾ in) below the top of the mold. Heat the oven to 170°C (340°F) with a rack in the lower third. Uncover for the last 20 minutes so the surface dries slightly.
8. With scissors or a sharp blade, cut a shallow cross on the top and place a small pat of butter in the center. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, tenting loosely with foil after about 20 minutes. It is done at 92 to 94°C (198 to 201°F) in the center.
9. Immediately push two skewers through the paper and loaf about 2.5 cm (1 in) above the base, parallel to each other. Turn the panettone upside down and hang it by the skewers between two tall pots. Cool upside down for at least 6 hours or overnight before removing the skewers and slicing.

Tips for success

• A warm, steady spot speeds things up: an oven with only the light on often holds 26 to 28°C (79 to 82°F). Check it with a thermometer first.
• Butter that is too warm turns greasy and breaks the dough. Keep it soft enough to squeeze but still cool to the touch.
• Slice panettone vertically into tall wedges with a serrated knife to keep the strands intact.

Substitutions

Candied orange peel

Use the same weight of chopped dried apricots or more raisins. The flavor is less citrusy but still festive.

Raisins

Chopped dark chocolate (90 g) for a chocolate panettone. Add it at the end like the fruit.

Paper mold

A tall 15 cm (6 in) round cake pan or clean coffee can lined with tall parchment. Grease and line it well, and you can still hang the loaf with skewers.

Variations

Chocolate and orange panettone

Replace the raisins with 90 g dark chocolate chunks and keep the candied orange peel.

Mini panettoni

Divide the dough among eight 100 g paper molds (about 100 g of dough each), proof until nearly full, and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 22 to 28 minutes.

Troubleshooting

The loaf collapsed or shrank while cooling

It was not hung upside down or was underbaked. Bake to at least 92°C and hang it immediately.

Butter will not mix in and the dough looks greasy

The dough or butter was too warm, or the gluten was not developed first. Chill the bowl, then continue adding butter slowly after a strong windowpane.

The final proof is taking far longer than 6 hours

The room is too cool. Move it somewhere around 26°C (79°F) and wait for the dome to reach near the top of the mold.

Crumb is dense, not stringy

The dough was underkneaded or underproofed. Knead until glossy and very elastic, and do not bake until it has nearly filled the mold.

Storage

Once fully cool, store the panettone in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature for up to 1 week. Freeze wrapped wedges for up to 2 months. Stale slices make excellent French toast or bread pudding.

Safety notes

Do not taste the raw dough; it contains raw egg yolks and uncooked flour. Contains wheat, egg and milk.