Easy Panettone recipe for making flavorful Italian Panettone Bread in a very simple and easy method.The Panettone bread is filled with juicy raisins and infused with lots of citrus and vanilla flavor.
150mlMilk1/2 cup +2 tbsp (slightly warm around 95 F)
62.5gSugar5 tbsp
3/4tspSalt
2Eggs
2tspYeast
85gSoftened Unsalted Butter6 tbsp
1 and 1/2 tspVanilla Extractor 1 pod
Zest of 1 Orange
Zest of 1 Lemon
200gRaisins1 and 1/4 cup
60gCandied orange and lemon peel1/3 cup
50gDiced Apricots1/4 cup
Instructions
1.PREPARE THE DOUGH
To prepare the panettone bread dough, into a bowl, add the warm milk/water,eggs,sugar,salt and yeast.Yeast always love a warm and sweet environment to bloom up. So make sure our milk or water is just warm (ideally 95 F)and not hot.We can use instant yeast or active dry yeast. Just make sure our yeast got dissolved in the liquid so that it can act fast.Combine everything together and then add the flour.Stir everything together to form a homogenous dough.
2.FIRST PROOFING
Now let’s cover the bowl with a damp cloth or using a plastic film and let the dough ferment for one hour.This will give some time for the gluten strands to form and develop.
3.ADD BUTTER AND DRY FRUITS TO THE DOUGH
After one hour of proofing, add the butter, and knead the dough for ten minutes until we get a very soft and elastic dough.After kneading the dough, we should be able to stretch the dough into a thin membrane without tearing.Now let’s add in all those special ingredients that makes a panettone a festive bread.The zest of lemon and orange, the candied orange peels and candied lemon peels.Stretch and fold the dough and incorporate everything into the dough until its homogenous dough.
4.FINAL PROOFING
Once we are done preparing the panettone dough, transfer the dough onto a lightly greased work surface. Then shape it into a tensive dough ball.Place the dough ball into the panettone mold.Let the dough proof until the dough gets doubled in size. It should be risen to about 1 inch or so higher than the rim of the mold.The proofing time may vary according to the temperature of our place.If the place is warmer the yeast will work fast and will proof in almost two hours.If your place is cold it will take longer around 4 hours.I usually keep my dough inside the oven with oven lights on.This will help to create a cozy warm environment inside the oven very suitable for the yeast to act.When the panettone bread has almost risen well, take it out of the oven.Then start preheating the oven to 350 F and place the rack in the lower third of the oven.Just before taking the panettone dough into the oven, if you’d like a glossy finish on your panettone, lightly beat an egg in small bowl and brush the top of the panettone with this egg wash.Use a very sharp knife (I use a razor blade) and score a cross mark across the entire top of the panettone. Place about a tablespoon of butter in the center.
5.BAKE THE PANETTONE BREAD
Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 325 F.Bake for another 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the panettone cake comes out clean.If you find the top getting browned too fast, tent the top with some aluminum foil to prevent any over browning.