Panettone

Panettone is a classic Italian Christmas cake, rich and fluffy, known for its long proofing time and soft, luxurious texture. Here is a basic version of the panettone recipe:

Ingredients

• 500 g of all-purpose flour
• 150 g of sugar
• 200 g of soft butter
• 3 whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 150 ml of milk
• 25 g of fresh baker’s yeast
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 vanilla pod (or vanilla extract)
• 80 g of candied fruit
• 150 g of raisins
• A pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Soak the raisins in warm water or in a liquor of your choice for about 30 minutes, then drain and dry them.
2. Dissolve the baker’s yeast in warm milk.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the milk and yeast and start kneading.
4. Add the eggs, sugar, lemon and orange zest, vanilla seeds (or extract) and knead well.
5. Incorporate the soft butter in pieces and the pinch of salt, continue kneading until the mixture is smooth and elastic.
6. Add the candied fruit and the previously soaked and squeezed raisins, and knead to distribute evenly.
7. Let the dough rise in a bowl covered with a cloth in a warm place, for about 3 hours or until it doubles in volume.
8. Knead your dough briefly again and put it in a panettone mold.
9. Let it rise in the mold for another 2 hours.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 40-50 minutes. Do the toothpick test before taking it out of the oven.
11. Let the panettone cool before serving it.

Remember to make a cross-cut on the surface of the panettone before baking it and to insert a small knob of butter in the center to achieve the typical “dome” once baked.

Curiosity

Panettone has ancient origins, and multiple legends intertwine around its creation. One of them says that it was born from a mistake by an apprentice baker named Toni, who burned the dessert planned for his lord’s Christmas banquet and improvised with the leftovers from the pantry, thus creating the “bread of Toni,” which became Panettone.