Italian Panettone

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
• •Paper panettone molds, 6-inch diameter
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Kitchen scale
• •2 long wooden skewers per loaf (12-inch bamboo works well)
• •Razor blade or very sharp knife
• •Serrated bread knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the fruit

   Combine the candied orange peel, candied citron, and golden raisins in a small bowl. Pour the rum over them and toss to coat. Cover and let stand at room temperature while you prepare the dough, at least 30 minutes. Better yet, do this the night before. The fruit will plump and soften, distributing more evenly through the finished bread. Drain any excess liquid before adding to the dough.

   Quality candied fruit makes an enormous difference. Seek out Italian imports or make your own. The waxy, artificially colored fruit sold for fruitcakes will sabotage your panettone.
2. 2

   Build the initial dough

   In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Create a well in the center. Add the egg yolks, whole egg, warm milk, honey, vanilla, and both citrus zests. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and mix on low speed until the ingredients come together into a shaggy mass, about 2 minutes. The dough will look rough and unpromising. This is correct.

   A stand mixer is not optional here. This dough requires 20-25 minutes of mechanical kneading that would exhaust even the strongest hands.
3. 3

   Develop the gluten

   Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will slap against the sides of the bowl and slowly begin to smooth out. It will still be quite sticky. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides as needed. After 10 minutes, the dough should pull away from the bowl sides in a cohesive mass, though it will stick to the bottom.

4. 4

   Incorporate the butter

   With the mixer running on medium-low, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time. Wait until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next. This takes patience, roughly 8-10 minutes total. The dough will look greasy and broken at various points. Keep mixing. Eventually it transforms into something glossy and elastic, pulling completely away from the bowl sides. When you stretch a small piece, it should form a translucent windowpane without tearing.

   If the dough refuses to come together after 15 minutes of adding butter, refrigerate it for 20 minutes, then continue. Warmth causes the butter to melt rather than emulsify into the dough.
5. 5

   Add the fruit

   Drain any excess rum from the soaked fruit. With the mixer on low speed, add the fruit mixture. Mix just until the fruit is evenly distributed, about 1-2 minutes. Over-mixing here will crush the delicate candied pieces and streak the dough with their color. Use a spatula to fold in any fruit that collects at the bottom of the bowl.

6. 6

   First rise

   Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at cool room temperature (68-72°F) until tripled in volume. This takes 10-14 hours, so plan accordingly. Starting in the evening and letting the dough rise overnight works beautifully. The slow fermentation develops complex flavor that quick-risen dough cannot match. The dough is ready when it looks puffy, billowy, and jiggles when you shake the bowl.

7. 7

   Shape the loaves

   Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Handle it gently. Divide into two equal portions, roughly 600g each if you have a scale. Working with one piece at a time, fold the edges toward the center, then flip the dough over so the seam faces down. Cup your hands around the dough and rotate it against the work surface in a circular motion, tucking the edges underneath to create surface tension. You want a taut, smooth ball with no seams visible on top.

   The shaping determines whether your panettone rises into a proud dome or slouches sideways. Take your time creating that surface tension.
8. 8

   Second rise

   Place each shaped ball into a paper panettone mold, seam-side down. The dough should fill about one-third of the mold. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm spot (75-78°F) until the dough reaches just below the rim of the paper mold, about 4-6 hours. The dough should look puffy and spring back slowly when pressed with a floured finger. Do not rush this rise. Under-proofed panettone will burst at the sides rather than doming gracefully.

9. 9

   Prepare for baking

   Position a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Using a very sharp knife or razor blade, score a shallow cross on top of each loaf, about 4 inches long and a quarter-inch deep. Place a small piece of cold butter, about a tablespoon, in the center of the cross. Brush the entire surface lightly with the egg wash, being careful not to deflate the dough.

10. 10

    Bake the panettone

    Place the molds on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan and reduce the temperature to 325°F. Continue baking until the tops are deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F, about 35-45 minutes more. The tops will dome proudly above the paper molds. If the tops brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the final 15 minutes.

11. 11

    Cool upside down

    This step is non-negotiable. As soon as the panettone emerge from the oven, insert two long wooden skewers horizontally through the base of each loaf, about an inch from the bottom, creating a cross pattern. Immediately flip the loaves upside down, suspending them between two tall objects like wine bottles or large cans. The skewers rest on the supports while the panettone hangs freely. Cool completely in this position, at least 8 hours or overnight.

    Skipping this step guarantees a collapsed, dense bread. The structure needs to set while gravity works in its favor. Traditional bakeries have special racks for this purpose.
12. 12

    Store and serve

    Once completely cooled, remove the skewers. Panettone keeps beautifully for up to a week wrapped in plastic at room temperature. The texture actually improves after a day or two as the flavors meld. To serve, slice into wedges from the top down using a serrated knife. Toast leftover slices and spread with mascarpone for breakfast. Day-old panettone makes extraordinary French toast.

Chef Tips

• •Weight measurements matter more for panettone than almost any other baked good. A kitchen scale removes the guesswork and dramatically improves consistency between batches.
• •European-style butter with higher butterfat content (82-84%) creates superior texture. American butter contains more water, which interferes with gluten development in enriched doughs.
• •Traditional Milanese bakers use lievito madre, a stiff sourdough starter with lower hydration than typical American sourdough. If you want to pursue authenticity, research converting your starter and expect several failed attempts before success.
• •The paper molds are structural, not decorative. They support the dough's rise and maintain the classic shape. Reusable panettone tins exist but require different timing and temperatures.
• •Temperature control throughout the process separates good panettone from great. Cool fermentation develops flavor. Warm proofing encourages rise. Cold butter pieces in enriched dough spell disaster.
• •Panettone makes an exceptional gift. Wrapped in cellophane with a ribbon, it looks as impressive as it tastes. Start your batch two days before you need to give it away.

Advance Preparation

• •Soak candied fruit in rum up to 24 hours ahead for maximum flavor absorption.
• •The first rise can extend to 16 hours in a cooler kitchen without harm. Plan around your schedule.
• •Fully cooled panettone freezes beautifully for up to 2 months. Wrap tightly in plastic, then foil. Thaw at room temperature still wrapped to prevent condensation.
• •Slice and toast leftover panettone for an indulgent breakfast, or cube it for bread pudding that needs no additional sugar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 57g)