Panettone, originating in Milan, is a traditional sweet bread and has become Italy´s most famous Christmas cake enjoyed worldwide.
Panettone is a traditional Italian sweet bread that has become synonymous with Christmas. The typical Panettone of the Milanese Artisan Tradition is an oven-cooked product, with a soft dough, naturally leavened, that has a typical cylindrical shape due to the cooking mould with remains attached to the finished product.
Its upper crust is characteristically cracked and broken. The dough has a soft honeycomb structure (airy and fluffy) and an aroma typical of sourdough leavening. Additionally, it is filled with raisins and candied citrus fruits.
The origin dates back to the 15th century in Milan, and is the source of various stories and legends.
The origin of this well-known product dates back to the 15th century in Milan, and is the source of various stories and legends:
First one is related to a nobleman, Ughetto, who trying to impress a baker´s daughter, added luxurious ingredients (like butter, sugar, eggs, and raisins) to bread to achieve the first panettone.
Another legend says that the origin comes from Toni, a humble kitchen boy, who after seeing how the Christmas dessert was burnt, decided to create a new one with leftover ingredients. His brilliant idea, “pan di Toni” or “Toni´s bread” could inspire the name panettone.
Despite its different legends and its uncertain origins, it is important to highlight that all these stories lead back to Milan, confirming panettone as one of the most important symbols of this city. It has also become, over the centuries, a symbol of Christmas in Italy and the rest of the world.
The production of panettone has been protected by Law in Italy since 2005. Panettone is regulated by product specification.
Since 2005, the production of panettone has been protected by Law in Italy (Decreto 22 luglio 2005, called “Disciplina della produzione e della vendita di taluni prodoti dolciari da forno”). Panettone is regulated by product specification that defines the ingredients, their minimum percentages, and its process.
According to Italian Law, panettone must contain the following ingredients:
- Wheat flour
- Sugar
- Fresh egg (category A) (not less than 4 %)
- Butyric fat (not less than 16 %)
- Raisins and candied citrus peels (not less than 20 %)
- Natural yeast made from sourdough
- Salt
- And may contain other ingredients such as honey, natural flavous, cocoa butter, …
The production process of the Panettone typical of the Artisan Tradition Milanese involves many processing phases. The traditional method is an intrincate and time-consuming process that starts with the creation of sourdough and has several stages of fermentation.
In Biancolievito – how to make panettone, you will find all the information about how to make most traditionally panettone at home; starting from the ingredients, sourdough, doughs, baking, turning it upside down, packaging, …
In this post, I will not prepare a panettone recipe with all the steps established by Italian tradition. On the contrary, I am going to make a much simpler recipe by shortening some steps (especially the fermentations and times). Allowing you to make your own panettone at home easier, simpler and faster.
Let´s go with this delicious Christmas recipe!
You can also try making any of these three recipes:
- Three Kings Cake: Whether you prefer the Three Kings cake filled with cream or chocolate, it will become a delight for everyone who tries it!
- Polvorones: Polvorones have a humble origin since they are obtained from only four ingredients: wheat flour, pig lard, sugar and almonds, but the result is a product almost perfect!
- Christmas salt dough recipe: They are the perfect Christmas decoration, you will have a lot of fun making these decorations and will want to repeat them every year.
Difficulty: DIFFICULT
Preparation time: 7 – 8 hours
Baking time: 30 minutes
PANETTONE
INGREDIENTS (For 1 Panettone)
- Dough
- 550 g high protein flour
- 3 eggs (L)
- 160 g butter
- 100 g milk
- 100 g sugar
- 80 g water
- 25 g fresh yeast
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 orange zest
- Bits
- 100 g candied fruits
- 75 g raisins
PREPARATION
Mixing
IMPORTANT! You must use high-protein flour, just like the Three Kings Cake (or Roscón de Reyes in Spanish).
Starting with the poolish, in a bowl, mix the warm milk and fresh yeast and let it dissolve. Add 130 g of flour and 20 g of sugar.
Mix with a fork until you get a sticky and homogeneous dough.
Photo by: @aniolvisuals
Cover the bowl with a film and let it ferment for 1 hour.
In a larger bowl incorporate the poolish with all the ingredients, except the butter, the raisins, and the candied fruits.
Mix for about 20 minutes until get an elastic dough.
Incorporate little by little the butter cut into squares, and continue mixing in each incorporation. Do not add flour even if you think it needs it!
Mix for another 20 minutes until get a smooth, shiny and manageable dough.
Restings
You can mix in or out of the bowl. When you finish mixing, place the dough in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let rest for 1 h 30 minutes – 2 h or until doubled in size.
On a work table, break or desgas the dough. Add the candied fruits and the raisins to the dough. Form a smooth ball.
Photos by: @aniolvisuals
Place the ball into a panettone mold (you can use special paper or a metal mold). Fill it a little more than a half.
Let it rest & ferment for about 2 hours. The panettone will grow to overflow the mold.
Photo by: @aniolvisuals
Baking & Cooling
Bake at 180 ºC for 25 – 30 minutes (until the surface has acquired a nice golden colour).
After 15 minutes of baking, cover the panettone with aluminium foil to prevent it from browning too much.
After baking, take out the panettone from the oven and let it cool.
It is important to let it cool upside down to prevent the crumb from falling, but if you do not know how or you do not feel capable, try letting it cool standing up without manipulating it too much.
Photo by: @aniolvisuals
Lastly, enjoy it!
PANETTONE
1
Panettone7 - 8
hours30
minutesIngredients
- Dough
550 g strong flour
3 eggs (L)
160 g butter
100 g milk
100 g sugar
80 g water
25 g fresh yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon zest
1 orange zest
- Bits
100 g candied fruits
75 g raisins
Preparation
- Mixing
- IMPORTANT! You must use strong flour to make panettone
- Starting wiht the poolish, in a bowl mix the warm milk with the yeast and let it disolves. Add 130 g of flour and 20 g of sugar
- Mix with a folk until you get a sticky and homogeneous dough
- Cover the bowl with film and let it ferment for 1 hour
- In a large bowl incorporate the poolish with all the ingredients, except the butter, the raisins and the candied fruit
- Mix for about 20 minutes until get an elastic dough
- Incorporate, little by little, the butter cut into squares, and continue mixing in each incorporation. Do not add flour even if you think it needs it!
- Mix another 20 minutes until get a smooth, shiny and manageable dough
- You can mix in or out of the bowl. When you finish mixing, place the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap
- Restings
- Let rest 1 h 30 min - 2 h or until doubled in size
- On a work table, break or desgas the dough. Add the candied fruit and the raisins to the dough. Form a smooth ball
- Place the ball into a panettone mold (you can use special paper or a metal mold). Fill it a little more than a half
- Let it ferment for about 2 hours. The panettone will grow to overflow the mold
- Baking & Cooling
- Bake at 180 ºC for 30 - 35 minutes (depending on the over you have)
- After 15 minutes of baking, cover the panettone with aluminium foil to prevent it from browning to much. After baking, take out the panettone and let it cool
- It is important to let it cool upside down to prevent the crumb from falling, but if you do not know how or you do not feel capable, try letting it cool standing up without manipulating it too much
Did you like this Christmas recipe? Go ahead and do it!
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