Description
This Easy Panettone Recipe is a traditional Italian Christmas bread that is sweet, soft, and buttery, similar to brioche. Loaded with raisins, candied orange peel, dried cranberries, and currants, this bread is perfect for holiday celebrations. Baked in a paper mold, it creates a beautifully tall and airy loaf that is both festive and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Liquid Ingredients
- 8 ounces water (70ºF)
- 4 ounces honey
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 2 egg yolks (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 15 grams instant yeast
- 10 ounces bread flour
- 12 ounces bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Fats
- 8 ounces butter (room temperature, softened)
Dried Fruits and Flavorings
- 3 ounces raisins
- 2 ounces candied orange peel
- 3 ounces dried cranberries
- 2 ounces dried currants
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a mixing bowl, combine 8 ounces of warm water (70ºF) with 15 grams of instant yeast and a small portion of the bread flour to create a starter. Allow it to sit for about 5-10 minutes until the yeast begins to foam and activate, indicating it’s ready.
- Prepare Dough: Add the remaining bread flour (10 ounces plus 12 ounces divided as needed), salt, softened butter, honey, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla extract to the yeast mixture. Mix thoroughly until the dough comes together.
- Knead the Dough: Knead the dough by hand or using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for about 10-15 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.
- Incorporate Dried Fruits: Gently fold in raisins, candied orange peel, dried cranberries, dried currants, and lemon zest evenly throughout the dough, ensuring the fruits are well distributed.
- First Rise: Cover the dough bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free area for approximately 2 to 3 hours or until it doubles in size.
- Shape and Proof: Lightly flour your hands and gently shape the dough into rounds. Place each dough ball into individual panettone paper molds (approximately 2″ x 2 3/8″ for mini loaves or a larger mold for full-sized). Cover and let rise again for about 8 to 12 hours or until the dough nearly doubles in size.
- Preheat Oven and Bake: Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Bake the panettone for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Remove the panettone from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving. This helps the structure to set and enhances flavor.
Notes
- Panettone is a traditional Italian holiday bread known for its sweet, buttery, and airy crumb.
- The bread is enriched with candied orange peel, raisins, currants, and dried cranberries to create a festive flavor.
- Using panettone paper molds helps achieve the signature tall, dome-shaped loaf.
- Allowing long, slow proofing times enhances the bread’s texture and flavor.
- Store panettone in an airtight container to maintain freshness for several days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 214 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 169 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
