Panettone Italian Christmas Sweet Bread
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Rising Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients:
Panettone:
3¼ cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (75 grams total, if you double the recipe, then double this amount)
⅔ cup water (lukewarm)
½ cup butter (room temperature/cut into small pieces)
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons dry active yeast
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mini dark chocolate chips, raisins* or candied fruit, or a mixture
Topping:
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon almond flour (30 grams total, if you double the recipe, then double this amount)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar (78 grams total, if you double the recipe,e then double this amount)
1 large egg white
2-3 tablespoons powdered / icing sugar for dusting
¼ cup skinned whole almonds (more if desired)
Directions:
Panettone:
Plump raisins up by sitting them in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain.
In the bowl of the mixer with the paddle attached, add sifted flour. In the center, add the yeast, sugar, butter, eggs, yolk, zest, vanilla, and half the water. Mix for 20 seconds, then change to the dough hook and add the other half of the water and salt.
Mix for 15- 20 minutes, stopping after 10 minutes to scrape the hook and bowl.
After 20 minutes, add either the raisins, candied fruit, or chocolate chips (or even a mixture if you wish), mix on low for a couple of minutes until combined.
Remove to a flat, lightly floured board, lightly rub your hand with butter, and gather the dough into a ball. Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic and a dish towel. Place in a draft-free, warmish spot to rise. Let rise for 2-3 hours or until tripled in size.
Once risen, place the dough again on a lightly floured flat surface, with hands lightly buttered, roll again into a ball, place it in a greased Panettone mold, cover with plastic and a clean dish towel, and let rise for an hour.
Topping:
In a small/medium bowl, mix almond flour, cornstarch, sugar, and egg white. Set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 365F (185C)
Carefully brush the risen Panettone with the topping (I didn’t use it all), top with almonds, and sprinkle with icing / powdered sugar. Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes using a toothpick for doneness or the internal temperature, taken in the middle of the bread, is 190°F / 88°C. Immediately move to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.** Enjoy!
** No need to remove from the paper mold, just cut through it.
** I used an 8.5 x 4.5 inch cake pan, or a 750 gram paper mold.
Keeps for 3 days well covered.
Notes:
For room temperature ingredients, remove from the fridge about 1 hour before using.
Why use room temperature ingredients?
With cakes and other baking, it’s always better to use room-temperature ingredients. So, take any cold ingredients out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time or sooner if it’s cool in your kitchen. Room temperature ingredients blend more easily, creating a silky batter or dough, which will help to create a light, tender baked good.
Panettone should be kept in an airtight bag at room temperature. It will keep for up to 3 days.
You can choose whether to freeze them whole or in slices by placing them in bags suitable for freezing: the latter option is certainly more practical, because it will allow you to defrost only the desired quantity, without waste. Freezing times must not exceed 3 months.
How to make homemade Almond Flour:
If you like, you can even make your own almond flour; place almonds, 1/4 -1/3 cup at a time, in a food processor. Pulse until you have a flour-like consistency. Then sift the flour into a container, and any large bits pulse again.
Why use room temperature ingredients?
With cakes and other baking, it’s always better to use room-temperature ingredients. So, take any cold ingredients out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time or sooner if it’s cool in your kitchen. Room temperature ingredients blend more easily, creating a silky batter or dough, which will help to create a light, tender baked good.
Nutritional Facts:
Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 330IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2.1mg
Recipe courtesy of An Italian in my Kitchen.com
Note from Amethyst: Here are links to a Paper Panettone Mold and a Metal Panettone Mold. I am unsure if you can use the paper one without the mold, though, and can just use it in a regular round cake pan. It looks like it, but I’m not 100% sure. Good luck with your baking!
