“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.”
Robert Browning
The December 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by the talented Marcellina of Marcellina in Cucina. Marcellina challenged us to create our own custom Panettone, a traditional Italian holiday bread!
So how was the Panettone born? A beautiful bread with a romantic tale. Traditionally it is eaten by the Milanese but now it is available all through Italy and in many parts of the world. There are many stories and legends of the Panettone. The one recounted by Carol Field, whose recipe we use today, is that of a rich young Milanese noble who fell in love with the daughter of a poor baker whose name was Tony (Antonio).
The nobleman wanted to marry the baker’s daughter so he ensured the baker had at his disposal the very best ingredients – eggs, butter, flour, candied orange peel, citron and sultanas. The baker created a wonderful bread which became known as pan di Tonio (Tony’s bread). The baker found his fame and fortune and the nobleman honorably married the baker’s daughter.
Do stop by here and check out some the beautiful Panettone that the Daring Bakers have baked. Thank you Marcella for sharing the beautiful story and recipe with us. Thank you as always Lisa of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice for hosting this fab kitchen!!
[print_this]Recipe: Traditional Panettone 
Summary: A delicious sweet Italian bread like cake studded with fruit, nuts and candied peel. The Panettone originates from Milan, and is traditionally made around Christmas. Panettone recipe slightly adapted from The Italian Baker by Carol Field. Makes 2 Panettone {I made half recipe} Candied Orange Peel from Use Real Butter
Prep Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours {plus resting and cooling time}
Ingredients:
- Sponge
- 1 satchel (2¼ teaspoons) (7 gm) active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) warm water
- ½ cup (70 gm) unbleached all purpose flour
- First Dough
- 1 satchel (2¼ teaspoons) (7 gm) active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) warm water
- 2 large eggs, at room temp
- 1¼ cup (175 gm) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour
- ¼ cup (55 gm) (2 oz) sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) (115 gm) unsalted butter, at room temp
- Second dough
- 2 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup (150 gm) (5-2/3 oz) sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract {I used 1 vanilla bean in half recipe}
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon essence/extract
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) orange essence/extract
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) (225 gm) unsalted butter, at room temp
- 3 cups (420 gm) (15 oz) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour; plus up to (2/3 cup) 100 gm for kneading
- Filling and final dough
- 1½ cups (250 gm) (9 oz) golden raisins or golden sultanas
- ½ cup (75 gm) (2-2/3 oz) candied citron {I didn’t have this so I made it up with candied orange peel}
- ½ cup (75 gm) (2-2/3 oz) candied orange peel
- Grated zest of 1 orange
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 to 3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) (15-25 gm) all-purpose (plain) flour
- Note: I used about 3 cups of fruit & nut filling from my Christmas Garam Masala Fruit Cake
- Candied Orange peel recipe
Method:
- Sponge
- Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl and allow to stand until creamy. That’s about 10 minutes or so.
- Mix in the flour.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size for about 20 to 30 minutes
- TM: I just placed everything in the Thermomix Speed 5, 10 seconds.
- First Dough By Mixer
- In the mixer bowl, mix together the yeast and water and allow to stand until creamy. Again, about 10 minutes or so.
- With the paddle attached mix in the sponge, eggs, flour, and sugar.
- Add in the butter and mix for 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and even.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow double in size, about 1 – 1 ¼ hours
- Second Dough By Mixer
- With the paddle mix in thoroughly the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, honey, scraped vanilla bean, essences/extracts, and salt.
- Mix in the butter until smooth.
- Add the flour and slowly incorporate.
- At this stage the dough will seem a little too soft, like cookie dough.
- Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead for about 2 minutes.
- Turn out the dough and knead it on a well-floured surface until it sort of holds its shape.
- Don’t knead in too much flour but you may need as much as 2/3 cup. Be careful the excess flour will affect the finished product. {I didn’t add any extra flour}
- First Rise
- Oil a large bowl lightly, plop in your dough and cover
- Oil a large bowl lightly, plop in your dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for 2-4 hours until it has tripled in size.
- Filling and Final Rise
- Soak the raisin/sultanas in water 30 minutes before the end of the first rise. {I used about 3 cups of fruit & nut filling from my Christmas Garam Masala Fruit Cake}
- Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- Now take your dough and cut it in half. Remember we are making two panettoni.
- Combine all your filling ingredients and mix well.
- Press out one portion of dough into an oval shape.
- Sprinkle over one quarter of the filling and roll up the dough into a log
- Press out again into an oval shape and sprinkle over another quarter of the filling.
- Roll into a log shape again.
- Repeat with the second portion of dough.
- Shape each into a ball and slip into your prepared pans, panettone papers or homemade panettone papers.
- Cut an X into the top of each panettone and allow to double in size. If it has been rising on the kitchen bench in a warm place it should be doubled in about 2 hours.
- Baking
- When you think your dough has only about 30 minutes left to rise preheat your oven to moderately hot 200°C
- Just before baking carefully {don’t deflate it!} cut the X into the dough again and place in a knob {a nut} of butter.
- Place your panettoni in the oven and bake for 10 minutes
- Reduce the heat to moderate 180°C and bake for another 10 minutes
- Reduce the heat again to moderate 160°C and bake for 30 minutes until the tops are well browned and a skewer inserted into the panettone comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
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Before I go, I am happy to announce the winner for the giveaway of the beautiful retro scale and worktop saver from Zansaar. Put your hands together for Kajal @ For the Love of Food. Congratulations Kajal … will mail you soon! BTW, your blog is beautiful!
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Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India
