Panettone (Italian Christmas Bread)
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Soft, light, chewy, fruity and wonderfully fragrant, Panettone is Italy’s world famous sweet bread that is traditionally enjoyed for Christmas and New Year. But you don’t have to limit yourself, with this traditional Panettone recipe you can enjoy this scrumptious treat all year long!
Panettone is synonymous with an Italian Christmas. Indeed, the two have gone hand in hand for centuries and to deviate from the tradition would be unthinkable. And so year after year Italian home bakers continue that tradition and for those who prefer the convenience of store-bought, Italian food manufacturers produce more than 7,100 tons of panettone each year – and only 10% of those are sold outside the country. With a population of 16.5 million people in Italy that averages out to nearly 4.5 pounds of panettone per person (adult, child and infant) per year. That’s A LOT of panettone!
What is Panettone?
Panettone is an Italian type of sweet bread loaf with sourdough-like properties usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year’s.
Panettone comes from the city of Milan in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Milanese bakers have proudly been making it for centuries and Milan continues to host an annual panettone baking competition to determine who will be crowned the Panettone King.
Like German Stollen with it’s characteristic oval shape that’s tapered at each end and with a bump and ridge running along the top, Panettone likewise has a very unique look all to its own. Baked in round paper molds, panettone is instantly recognizable by its tall, round stature and domed top.
There are many contemporary variations of Panettone that include things like chocolate, nuts or other dried fruits like pineapple, apricots and cherries. This recipe is for a traditional Panettone which means the only additions to the vanilla-infused batter are raisins, candied lemon and orange peel and some lemon zest (and/or orange zest depending on your preference). Though of course depending on how far back you trace its origins you won’t find candied citrus peel or yeast in the earliest known references dating back back to the Renaissance.
Traditional panettone is also not rum-flavored nor are the fruits soaked in rum. The ingredients are basic, the flavors balanced, and the result absolutely scrumptious in its simplicity.
Panettone is an example of a dish that is shared across many different cultures, each having their own version of it. Similar fruit cakes/breads can be found in the form of German Stollen, Welsh Bara Brith, Irish Barmbrack, English Fruit Cake or Christmas Pudding, French and German Kugelhopf/Gugehupf, Scottish Dundee Cake (recipes coming soon!), and there are many other examples.
Too often recipes will blend different traditions and styles together into one and so you end up losing the distinctness of each country’s unique version. Just as one example, adding glacé cherries and other dried fruits to Scottish Dundee Cake, thus transforming it into something more like a traditional English fruit cake instead of the unique Scottish cake that it is. Not that there’s anything wrong in doing that, it’s just that these unique varieties all start tasting kind of the same. I prefer to make each country’s version the authentic way so that I can enjoy each particular culture’s own unique twist.
All this is to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with altering or adding other ingredients, but if what you’re looking for is a traditional Italian panettone, stick with these original ingredients.
How Do You Serve Panettone?
Panettone is cut vertically into wedge-shaped slices and traditionally served with hot beverages or a sweet wine. In some areas of Italy it is served with sweetened mascarpone (crema di mascarpone) or zabaglione. It’s also wonderful sliced, toasted and slathered with butter or served with a vanilla custard sauce or fruit sauce. On a less traditional note, it’s also fabulous cubed and used for making a British-style pudding or trifle.
Traditionally Panettone is served on Christmas Day, on Santo Stefano (December 26th, a national holiday), on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. It’s enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, or after a main meal.
What Is a Panettone Mold?
To make panettone you’ll need a traditional paper panettone mold. These are constructed of thick, sturdy paper with a smooth coating inside and are not meant to be reused.
This recipe uses a traditional 7.3″ x 4.25″ panettone mold.  These molds are made in Italy and are excellent quality.
Traditional Panettone Recipe
*A Note About Candied Orange and Lemon Peel
Please, please, PLEASE do yourself a HUGE favor and leave the store-bought stuff on the shelf. I am not exaggerating when I say that using homemade Candied Orange Peel and Candied Lemon Peel makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE in the flavor of your panettone! It’s easy to make and trust me, you’ll be SO happy you did!
Equipped with your homemade candied citrus peel, you’re ready to make panettone!
Let’s get started!
To Prepare the Fruit Mixture: Place the raisins, candied lemon peel, candied orange peel, lemon and orange zest in a small bowl and pour 1/4 of hot water over them. Stir, cover and let soak for at least 2 hours or overnight. Drain any excess liquid before adding it to the panettone dough.
For the Starter: Stir the yeast into the lukewarm water and let it sit for about 10 minutes until frothy. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment (if your bowl is too large for that small of quantity knead it by hand). Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture.
Shape the dough into a ball and put it in a very lightly greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size. Punch it down, cover with plastic wrap again and refrigerate it overnight.
The next day take it out and let it come to room temperature before proceeding (this will take about 2 hours). Let it rise until nearly doubled in size and then gently punch it down before adding it to the panettone batter.
To Prepare the Panettone: Place the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in the stand mixer and stir to combine. Attach the dough hook attachment. Add the egg yolks and milk.
Mix it until it comes all comes together. Punch down the starter dough and add it to the stand mixer.
Knead the mixture for 5 minutes, regularly scraping down the sides.
Add the softened butter, vanilla and honey and knead for another 10 minutes. (Yes, that’s 10 minutes.)
The mixture should be totally smooth and elastic but not overly sticky.
Add the fruit mixture.
Knead the dough until the fruit is fully incorporated.
Gently punch down the dough.
Butter the panettone mold.
Form the dough into a ball and place it seam side down in the buttered panettone mold.
Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise for about another 2 hours or until doubled in size. It should be risen to about 1 inch or so higher than the rim of the mold.
Towards the end of this final rise preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (325 if using convection) and place the rack in the lower third of the oven.
If you’d like a glossy finish on your panettone, lightly beat an egg in small bowl.
Brush the top of the panettone with this egg wash.
Why Do I Need To Hang Panettone?
For more traditional Christmas treats be sure to try our:
- Pandoro (Verona Christmas Bread)
- Stollen (German Christmas Bread)
- Pfeffernüsse  (German Iced Spiced Cookies)
- Lebkuchen  (Nürnberger Elisenlebkuchen)
- Springerle
- Printen (Aachener Gingerbread)
- Speculoos (Gingerbread Shortcrust Cookies)
- Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Crescent Cookies)
- Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Star Cookies)
- Bethmännchen (Marzipan Cookies)
- Heidesand (Browned Butter Shortbread Cookies)
Traditional Panettone
Ingredients
- For the Starter:
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) lukewarm water
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup (100 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) salt
- For the Fruit Mixture:
- 1 cup (140 g) raisins
- 1/4 cup candied orange peel
- 1/4 cup candied lemon peel
- **Homemade Candied Orange & Lemon Peel **VERY STRONGLY RECOMMENDED (using homemade makes ALL the difference in flavor! It's easy to make and you'll be SO glad you did!)
- zest of one lemon
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
- For the Panettone:
- 2 1/2 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast (9 g)
- 1/2 teaspoons (2 g) salt
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (130 ml) milk , at room temperature (do NOT use cold milk)
- 5 large egg yolks , at room temperature (do NOT use cold eggs)
- prepared starter (see above)
- 10 tablespoons (150 g) unsalted butter , at room temperature (do NOT use cold butter)
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon quality vanilla bean paste
- OR one vanilla bean, scraped
- 1 lightly beaten egg
Instructions
- For the Starter: Stir the yeast into the lukewarm water and let it sit for about 10 minutes until frothy. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment (if your bowl is too large for that small of quantity knead it by hand). Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and knead for 5 minutes if using the stand mixer and about 10 minutes if kneading by hand. Shape the dough into a ball and put it in a very lightly greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size. Punch it down, cover with plastic wrap again and refrigerate it overnight. The next day take it out and let it come to room temperature before proceeding (this will take about 2 hours). Let it rise until nearly doubled in size.
- To Prepare the Fruit Mixture: Place the raisins, candied lemon peel, candied orange peel, lemon and orange zest in a small bowl and pour 1/4 cup of hot water over them. Stir, cover and let soak for at least 2 hours or overnight. Drain any excess liquid before adding it to the panettone dough. Properly draining it is critical to preventing a wet dough.
- To Prepare the Panettone: Place the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in the stand mixer and stir to combine. Attach the dough hook attachment. Add the egg yolks and milk and mix until it comes all comes together. Punch down the starter dough and add it to the stand mixer. Knead it for 5 minutes, regularly scraping down the sides. Add the softened butter, vanilla and honey and knead for another 10 minutes (yes, that's 10 minutes). The mixture should be totally smooth and elastic but not overly sticky. Add the fruit mixture and knead until fully incorporated. If the dough is too wet add a little extra flour. Scrape the dough down, cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until nearly tripled in size, about 3 hours. Towards the end of this final rise preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (325 if using convection) and place the rack in the lower third of the oven.
- Gently punch down the dough, form it into a ball and place it in a buttered panettone mold (7.3" x 4.25", click link for reference). Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise for about another 2 hours or until doubled in size. It should be risen to about 1 inch or so higher than the rim of the mold. Once the panettone is risen, if you'd like a glossy top brush the top of the panettone with some egg wash (a lightly beaten egg).
- Use a very sharp knife (I use a razor blade) and score an "x" across the entire top of the panettone. Place about a tablespoon chunk of butter in the center. Bake the panettone for 40-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (if the top is browning too quickly place foil over it). Be careful not to over-bake or the panettone will be very dry.Recommended: For best accuracy and to prevent under or over-baking use an instant read thermometer. The panettone is done when the internal temperature reaches between 190 and 195 degrees F.
- Remove the panettone from the oven and immediately stick two wooden skewers through the bottom of it and hang it upside down inside of a large, deep pot or somewhere where it can hang as it cools. This will prevent the top of the panettone from collapsing in on itself. Once cool, slice the panettone vertically in slices. Enjoy at room temp or toasted. See blog post for serving recommendations. Stored tightly wrapped in plastic wrap it will keep at room temperature for a few days to up to a week. It is best eaten within 2-3 days.
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
