Panettone

(Unedited)

Panettone is a type of sweet bread loaf originally from Milan, Italy. It is traditionally associated with Christmas and New Year celebrations. The origins of panettone are believed to date back to the Roman Empire when ancient Romans sweetened a type of leavened cake with honey. However, the current form and recipe of panettone became popular in the early 20th century due to industrial production by two bakeries in Milan: Motta and Alemagna. The name "panettone" translates to "large loaf cake" or "big bread".

The version here uses its own starter (biga). If you are a bread baker who maintains your own starter, you can substitute that for the one here.

This recipe calls for Manitoba 0 flour with 13% protein. I mix 80% King Arthur Bread flour (12.7%) with 20% King Arthur High-Gluten flour (14.2%) to get exactly 13% protein.

The recipe calls for raisins (uvetta) and candied fruits (canditi). I make it with only raisins. You can also make it with chocolate chips (gocce di cioccolato).

I recommend that you make things on the following timetable to avoid having to work in the middle of the night:

· Day #1 Evening: starter

· Day #2 Morning: first dough

· Day #2 Evening: second dough

· Day #3 Morning: cook

· Day #3 Evening: eat

Starter (biga)

2 g active drive yeast

40 g cold water

80 g Manitoba flour with 13% protein (see comments in introduction on how to get 13%)

1. Dissolve yeast in cold water.

2. Add the flour.

3. Use a spoon and hands to get it together. Knead it a little but not too much.

4. Break the starter into pieces.

5. Cover with plastic wrap.

6. Let sit for 12-18 hours at room temperature.

First Dough (primo impasto)

starter from above (or 120 g natural starter if you maintain one)

2 g active drive yeast

115 g cold water (helps keep dough from getting too hot during mixing)

225 g Manitoba flour with 13% protein (see comments in introduction)

70 g sugar

55 g egg yolk (3 yolks)

70 g butter at room temperature, plus 1 g salt if you are using unsalted butter

7. Set up your stand mixer with the flat beater attachment and bowl.

8. Place yeast and water in the bowl.

9. Turn on to low speed.

10. Add the flour a little at a time

11. Let it work for 10 minutes.

12. Break apart and throw the pieces back in.

13. Blend in the egg yolks, one at a time.

14. Once the dough attaches to the flat beater and the walls of the bowl, turn it off and detach the dough using a plastic scraper and put it back at the bottom of the bowl.

15. Turn at back on and increase speed to medium.

16. Let it get amalgamated and glutinous.

17. Add half the sugar a little at a time.

18. Repeat step 14 (only).

19. Add the second half of the sugar in the same way.

20. Repeat step 14 (only).

21. Insert the starter, broken up into pieces.

22. Let the dough get amalgamated and glutinous.

23. Repeat step 14 as necessary.

24. It should take 10-20 minutes (10 for me) to obtain a nice glutinous dough. Once it's completely attached to the flat beater, then it's ready for the butter.

25. Add the soft butter, one piece at a time until each is incorporated.

26. This process takes about 10-15 minutes, with the usual repetition of step 14 along the way.

27. The dough needs to be very elastic. You can stretch the dough pretty thin and it should not break. Another check is that you re-start the stand mixer and the dough immediately re-attaches to the flat beater.

28. Butter the countertop.

29. Do a few iterations of lifting the dough from the middle, letting it fall while you pull it back toward you, then folding it over.

30. Spin the dough using your hands and a plastic scraper to get it nice and round.

31. Close the dough in a container and place in an OFF oven with the light on.

32. The dough needs to triple its size. You can make this ahead of time with tape.

Second Dough (secondo impasto)

60 g Manitoba flour with 13% protein (see comments in introduction)

3 egg yolks

70 g sugar

5 g salt, 6.5 g if you are using unsalted butter

100 g butter at room temperature

1 pod of vanilla, with bean manually extracted

zest of one lemon

zest of one medium orange

20 g acacia honey

optional: 35 g candied citron (I don't include this)

optional: 35 g candied orange peel (I don't include this)

130 g raisins - soaked for an hour to soften them, then dried between paper towels

33. Mix the soft butter, vanilla, lemon zest, orange zest, and honey.

34. Break rising of the first dough (punch down) and put it into stand mixer bowl with the flat beater attachment.

35. Incorporate the flour and egg yolks, a little of each at the same time.

36. Once the dough attaches to the flat beater and the walls of the bowl, turn it off and detach the dough using a plastic scraper and put it back at the bottom of the bowl.

37. Spend 10-20 minutes letting it get amalgamated and glutinous. Occasionally repeat step 36 (only).

38. Add the sugar, a little at a time.

39. Repeat step 36 (only).

40. Add half the flavored soft butter.

41. Add the salt.

42. Add the rest of the flavored soft butter.

43. The dough needs to be very elastic. You can stretch the dough pretty thin and it should not break. Another check is that you re-start the stand mixer and the dough immediately re-attaches to the flat beater.

44. Add the raisins and the optional candied fruit.

45. Mix at low speed. Make sure they are mixed pretty well. I did not mix them well the first time I made it.

46. Butter the countertop.

47. Do 6 iterations of lift-fall-and-fold as described in step 29.

48. Spin the dough using your hands and a plastic scraper to get it nice and round.

49. Leave the dough on the counter (uncovered) for 30 minutes.

50. Do 2 more iterations of lift-fall-and-fold as described in step 29.

51. Round out the dough as described in step 48.

52. Place the dough into a 1 kg panettone mold. Refer to the Cooking Gear page for suggestions on sizes to ensure it can hold 1 kg.

53. Cover with plastic wrap as best you can and let it rise in an OFF oven with the light on until the dough gets within 1 inch of the top of the mold.

54. Remove plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes. This helps make the next step easier.

55. Make two cross cuts in the top of the dough using a very sharp razor blade, then place a dab of butter in the middle of the cross.

56. Preheat the oven at 330F (original recipe called for 335F).

57. Cook on bottom rack on a pan fitted with a grate for about an hour, but remove it once it reaches 194F (90C). Original recipe called for 203F (95C).

58. Once done, immediately insert panettone skewer (also discussed on the Gear page) and flip it over. You can also use a couple disposable bamboo skewers if they are long enough.

59. Let it rest over a deep bowl such as the bowl used in the stand mixer.

60. Cover with a dish towel.

61. Let it cool for 10 hours.

62. Flip it back upright and remove the skewer.

63. It's ready to eat.

This is only half a dough because I had accidentally bought molds that were too small (750 g rather than 1 kg). I also didn't mix the raisins in very well. Neither mistake affected the flavor. It's the best panettone I've ever had because I couldn't stop eating it: