Panettone is a traditional Italian sweet bread. It is one of the most popular desserts in Italy and is traditionally served during the Christmas season.
Brief History and Origin
Some believe Panettone originated in Milan in the 15th century, while others suggest it was first made in Lombardy in the 17th century. The most popular story is that Panettone was created by a baker named Toni in Milan in the late 1400s or early 1500s. He reportedly created a sweet bread for the Duke of Milan’s Christmas feast that became known as “pan de Toni” (bread of Toni).
Panettone – The Recipe
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 50 mins
- Total time: 1 hr 10 mins
- Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp. warm milk
- 7g active dried yeast
- 150g white sugar
- 250g softened butter
- 5 lightly beaten eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 orange zest
- 550g all-purpose flour
- 80g sultanas
- 80g raisins
- 3 tbsp. dark rum
For the topping
- 30g whole blanched almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp. caster sugar
- 1 tbsp. egg white
- 1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a panettone tin by lightly greasing it with butter.
- In a bowl, add milk, 1 tsp. of sugar and yeast and leave for some time.
- Add remaining sugar, vanilla extract, and butter to a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Mix in orange zest and lemon zest.
- Add an egg and beat until completely incorporated; repeat the process with the remaining eggs. You can mix in 1 tbsp. of flour if the mixture begins to curdle.
- In a large bowl, mix flour and salt, and make a well in the centre; pour in yeasty liquid along with the butter and egg mixture. Mix everything using a large spoon until soft dough.
- Then knead the dough for 5 minutes or until it starts to come together. Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted work surface and knead for 10 minutes until you have a soft and elastic dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and place it in the refrigerator for a night to prove.
- Add sultanas and raisins in a saucepan over medium heat, pour in rum and cook gently for 5 to 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed by the fruit; remove from heat and set aside.
- When the dough is ready, place it on the flour-dusted work surface, knead for 5 minutes, add soaked sultanas and raisins, and knead until equally distributed.
- Place the dough in the prepared tin, cover it with plastic wrap and leave it to rise in a warm place for 3 to 4 hours until double the volume.
- Prepare the oven and preheat it to 160 degrees C. Mix almonds, egg white, and sugar in a bowl to prepare the topping.
- When the dough is ready, apply the topping using a brush and place it in the oven; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the colour turns brown and the inserted skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake.
- Take out of the oven, leave to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from tin and place on the wire rack until cooled completely. Then slice and serve.
Popular variations
Here are a few ways you can change this basic recipe to adjust it to your liking:
- Chocolate panettone: The Chocolate Panettone has a twist of dark chocolate within the traditional Panettone bread. We love the richness chocolate brings along with the raisins and sultanas.
- Grilled Panettone with Strawberry Ice-cream and Almonds: If you have lots of Panettone leftover, this recipe is perfect to jazz it. Grill the panettone slices to revive the flavours, and then top with Strawberry ice cream and almonds.
- Panettone pudding: This elegant variation of bread and butter pudding is made with leftover Panettone, cream and vanilla. Again, this is a clever recipe and perfect for the holiday season.
- Brandy-Maple Ice-Cream Panettone: This version has Panettone stuffed with brandy maple ice cream. This twist requires pre-bought everything and just compiling the ingredients together. It is easy, fancy, and perfect for dinner parties.
- Cranberry, Pistachio and White Chocolate Panettone: This version is inspired by the bold flavours of Christmas and Thanksgiving. The cranberry gives the Panettone tartness, while the pistachio gives elevated nuttiness.
