Panettone

Panettone - the Italian Easter bread. Even though it's more of a Christmas sweet bread, it's definitely worth trying as an interesting take on Easter bread: a long starter, a pliable enriched dough, raisins, and candied fruit. I recommend it!

Panettone

An Italian Christmas sweet bread made with a long starter, raisins, candied fruit, and hints of rum and vanilla - an interesting take on Easter bread.

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Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Starter and dough fermentation 9 hours hrs

Total Time 10 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 1 panettone

Course: Easter kulich

Cuisine: Home cooking

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 850 g flour
• 300 ml water warm
• 180 g butter 140 g in the dough plus pieces for the cuts
• 180 g sugar
• 150 g raisins
• 70 g candied fruit
• 11 g dry yeast
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch salt
• 0.5 tsp turmeric
• 2 ml rum essence
• 1 ml vanilla essence

Method

 

1. Make the starter: dissolve the yeast in warm water, add 100 g of flour, mix, cover, and leave in a warm place for 3 hours.
2. While the starter rises, prepare the raisins: pour boiling water over them and steam, then spread on a paper towel, dry, and dust with flour.
3. Once the starter has fermented, add a bit more warm water and 100 g of flour, mix, and leave in a warm place again for 2 hours.
4. Mound the remaining flour in a bowl. Pour in 140 g of melted butter, add 4 egg yolks, the whole egg, a pinch of salt, the sugar, and turmeric. Pour in the essences. Knead into a smooth, elastic dough.
5. Combine the dough with the starter and knead well. Add the raisins and finely chopped candied fruit, and knead again - the dough will be pliable.
6. Place the dough in a round, buttered pan and leave for 4 hours to ferment. During this time it should double in volume.
7. Once risen, make a cross-shaped cut on top and place pieces of butter into the cuts.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 200-220C, depending on your pan and oven. Remove from the oven, let cool, and remove from the pan. Bon appetit!
   

Notes

This is not a quick process: the starter ferments in two stages (3 hours plus 2 hours), and the dough then ferments in the pan for another 4 hours - plan your baking ahead.

Tips

• Raisins should be steamed with boiling water, dried on a paper towel, and dusted with flour before folding into the dough.
• Baking time and temperature depend on your pan and oven - aim for 35-40 minutes at 200-220C.
• Don't cut the fermentation time short: the dough should double in volume - that's exactly what gives panettone its light, airy texture.