Panettone (Italian Christmas Bread)

 Breads, Holiday/Entertaining, International
Dec 082014
 
Panettone (Italian Christmas Bread)
Cuisine: Italian
[url href=”http://cookingqueen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/a-panettone-200×300.jpg”][img src=”http://cookingqueen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/a-panettone-200×300.jpg” width=”200″ height=”300″ class=”alignnone size-medium” title=”a panettone”][/url]
Ingredients
  • Makes 2 Panettone
  • Ingredients
  • Sponge:
  • 1 satchel (2¼ teaspoons) (7 gm) active dry yeast
  • ⅓ 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 temperature
  • 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
  • ⅔ cup (150 gm) (5-2/3 oz) sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
  • 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
  • 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) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour
Instructions
  1. For the Sponge: Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl and allow to stand until creamy; about 10 minutes or so.
  2. Mix in the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size for about 20 to 30 minutes.
  3. For the First Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the yeast and water and allow to stand until creamy, about 10 minutes or so.
  4. With the paddle attachment, mix in the sponge, eggs, flour, and sugar.
  5. Add in the butter and mix for 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and even.
  6. Cover with plastic wrap and allow double in size, about 1 – 1 ¼ hours.
  7. For the Second Dough: To the first dough, with the paddle attachment, mix in the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, honey, vanilla, essences/extracts, and salt until well combined.
  8. Mix in the butter until smooth.
  9. Add the flour and slowly incorporate.
  10. At this stage the dough will seem a little too soft, like cookie dough.
  11. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead for about 2 minutes.
  12. Turn out the dough and knead it on a well-floured surface until it sort of holds its shape.
  13. Don’t knead in too much flour but you may need as much as ⅔ cup (100 gm).
  14. Be careful the excess flour will affect the finished product
  15. For the First Rise: Oil a large bowl lightly, plop in your dough and cover with plastic wrap.
  16. Now we need to let it rise until it has tripled in size.
  17. There a few ways to go about this: Rise in a warm place for 2 – 4 hours OR find a cool spot (64°F -68°F) (18°C – 20°C) and rise overnight OR rise for 2 hours on your kitchen bench then slow the rise down and place in the refrigerator overnight.
  18. If you do this it will take some time to wake up the next morning (maybe another hour or two).
  19. For the Filling and Final Rise: Soak the raisin/sultanas in water 30 minutes before the end of the first rise.
  20. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
  21. Now take your dough and cut it in half.
  22. Combine all your filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  23. Press out one portion of dough into an oval shape.
  24. Sprinkle over one quarter of the filling and roll up the dough into a log.
  25. Press out again into an oval shape and sprinkle over another quarter of the filling.
  26. Roll into a log shape again.
  27. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
  28. Shape each into a ball and slip into your prepared pans, panettone papers or homemade panettone papers.
  29. Cut an X into the top of each panettone and allow to double in size.
  30. Rising time will vary according to method of first rise.
  31. If it has been in the refrigerator it could take 4 hours or more.
  32. If it has been rising on the kitchen bench in a warm place it should be doubled in about 2 hours.
  33. For Baking: When you think your dough has only about 30 minutes left to rise, preheat your oven to moderately hot 400°F/200°C/gas mark 6.
  34. Just before baking carefully (don’t deflate it!) cut the X into the dough again and place in a knob (about a tablespoon) of butter.
  35. Place your panettoni in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
  36. Reduce the heat to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and bake for another 10 minutes.
  37. Reduce the heat again to moderate 325°F/160°C/gas mark 3 and bake for 30 minutes until the tops are well browned and a skewer inserted into the panettone comes out clean.
  38. Cooling your panettone is also important.
  39. If you have use papers (commercial or homemade) lie your panettoni on their side cushioned with rolled up towels.
  40. Turn gently as they cool. If you have used pans cool in the pans for 30 minutes then remove and cushion with towels.

 

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