How to Make the Best Panettone - Italian Christmas Sweet Bread

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil is lower in saturated fat.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey is a natural sweetener.

Mix ⅓ cup (60 grams) bread flour with 1 ½ tsp. (6 grams) fresh yeast and 2 tbsp. (30 milliliters) water until there's no more dry flour to create a starter called 'biga'.

Cover the biga and let it ferment for 16-18 hours at room temperature.

Separate the yolks from 2 eggs, discarding the whites.

In a stand mixer bowl, dissolve 1 tsp. (4 grams) fresh yeast in 6 tbsp. (90 milliliters) water and mix well.

Gradually add 1 ¼ cups (170 grams) bread flour to the yeast mixture until there's no more dry flour.

Tear the dough into smaller pieces and toss them back into the bowl, then add one egg yolk and mix.

Once the first yolk is mixed in, add the second yolk and scrape the sides of the bowl.

Add ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar and mix until the dough begins to separate from the bowl and sticks to the hook, achieving a shiny and elastic texture.

Perform the windowpane test to check elasticity; the dough should stretch thin without ripping.

Tear the matured biga into smaller pieces and add it to the dough, mixing until incorporated.

Add 4 tbsp. (50 grams) softened butter in two batches, mixing until no visible butter remains and the dough gathers around the hook.

Separate the dough from the bowl and form it into a ball, transferring it to a clean bowl for proofing.

Cover the bowl and let the dough triple in size at an optimal temperature of 80°F (28°C).

Grate the zest of one orange and one lemon, then mix with 1 tbsp. (15 grams) honey and 1 tsp. vanilla extract, letting it infuse.

Once the dough has risen, deflate it and transfer it back to the mixing bowl.

Add ⅓ cup (45 grams) bread flour, the remaining egg yolks, and ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar gradually, along with a pinch of salt and 5 tbsp. (75 grams) softened butter, mixing until incorporated.

Add the infused honey and zest mixture, then mix in ¼ cup (50 grams) candied citrus cubes and ⅔ cup (100 grams) soaked raisins, ensuring no further mixing is needed.

Grease the work surface with butter, lift the dough, and fold it on itself until it doesn't stretch anymore.

Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover, and let it triple in size again.

After rising, lift the dough from the center and fold it a couple of times, then scrape and tuck it underneath with your hand.

Let the dough rest uncovered for 30 minutes, then lift and fold again to seal it.

Transfer the dough to a paper mold and cover it to rise until it almost fills the mold, then uncover and let it sit for 30 minutes to form a skin.

Make two optional cuts in the skin, lift it, and place small pieces of butter underneath.

Bake the panettone at 340°F (170°C) for 45 minutes, piercing the sides with bamboo skewers after baking.

Place the baked panettone upside down to cool.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens