Easy Panettone

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Panettone, like croissant dough, takes a long time to prepare and practice really does make perfect.

Many recipes will require the baker to produce a 'mother dough', a lievito madre, which is a stiff natural leaven that often requires multiple feeds and may be sweetened. If you're an experienced baker, you will be familiar with this method. 

But what if you're not? What if this is your first panettone? 

Then this recipe is for you.  It's foolproof, straightforward and delicious.

So, what's the story with the Panettone? 

The Panettone is a rich, sweet, brioche bread, originally from Milan, Italy and popular at festivities. 

The word panettone derives from panetto, meaning a small loaf of bread. Adding -one changes the meaning to 'large bread'. 

The earliest records date the panettone to 1599 at the Court of Charles V. We know it was served at Borromeo College that Christmas as the original recipe for "5 pounds of butter, 2 pounds of raisins and 3 ounces of spices given to the baker to make 13 "loaves' to be given to college students on Christmas Day" still exists. 

What equipment do I need? 

Well, Panettone cases (which are all oven-proof) are very seasonal and attractive and springform pans are long-lasting,  but you can make a perfectly good substitute by using a round deep cake tin and extending the height using a collar of parchment paper. 

As a guideline: A standard panettone case is often 14cm (or 15cm) x 10 cm, without an additional parchment paper support. This size of case takes 485gms - 500 gms of dough. 

INGREDIENTS (Enough dough for TWO 15cm x 10 cm (500gm) Panettone moulds)

400 gms of strong white bread flour

72 gms of warm milk

185 gms beaten egg (made up from 4 large eggs and 1 large yolk)

132 gms softened butter

64 gms caster sugar

1.6 gms fine sea salt

132 gms sultanas

64 gms candied peel (chopped)

the zest of a small lemon (chopped)

8 gms fast-action yeast

¾ teaspoon (4 gms) vanilla extract

You'll also need a little melted butter to brush on the top prior to baking. 

If you want to work from a different flour base (e.g. 500 gms = large, 450 gms = medium and 350 gms - smaller) then this might be useful.  However, remember that you only need to have enough dough to fill your mould to one-third. 

METHOD

Add a little of the sugar to the milk. Stir in the yeast and leave it to one side for 5 minutes until it starts to froth. 

Beat the softened butter into the beaten egg. Add the sugar, a little at a time. 

Add the salt, flour and yeast mixture and mix thoroughly. 

Knead until you have a fairly soft dough. 

Slowly add the fruit and continue to knead until the dough is soft and silky. 

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and leave it in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This will take time. This is an enriched dough and, depending on the temperature (ideally, about 25⁰C), it'll take between one and two hours. Maybe more, maybe less.....watch the dough, not the clock. 

Tip gently onto a floured board and knock back.  Weigh and portion out according to the size and dimensions of your mould. 

Shape into a ball and place in a prepared panettone case, springform pan or prepared cake tin with parchment lining and extension if necessary. 

Guide: A 15cm x 10 cm panettone mould should take 500 gms of dough. 

A practical formula:

$$\text{Dough weight (g)}=\frac{\text{Mold volume (ml)}}{\text{Expansion factor}}\times \text{Dough density (g/ml)}$$

Where:

• Mould volume is in ml or cm³

• Expansion factor is approximately 3 to 3.5 (to allow for dough rising and baking expansion)

• Dough density can be approximated as 0.9 g/ml for panettone dough

Example: For a panettone mould volume of 1000 ml,

$$\text{Dough weight}=\frac{1000}{3.2}\times 0.9=281\text{ g}$$

This means about 280 g of dough should be placed in the mold to allow proper rising and baking.

Here we have 500 gms in a paper mould, but using a springform pan as support. Another 500 gms in another paper mould and, with a bit of dough left over, it's in a small tin loaf pan as a 'baker's treat'. 

Return to a warm place and leave until the dough has at least doubled and probably tripled.  Again, this will take as long as it takes....watch the dough, not the clock.  At 25⁰C - the two below took 65 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190⁰C (375⁰F) FAN (slightly more if it's a conventional oven).

Brush the top with melted butter and bake for 10 minutes before dropping the heat to 180⁰C (355⁰F) for a further 30 minutes until the top is crisp and a skewer comes out cleanly.

If the bread starts to brown too quickly, cover the top with an aluminium foil 'hat'. 

Internal temperature should be 92⁰C - 93⁰C (197⁰F - 200⁰F)

Cool on the rack. To prevent the risk of it collapsing, after it has cooled a little, suspend upside down for about 2 hours until cool and 'set'.  

Be careful - if the panettone is too warm, you may end up with a disaster if you try and suspend it 

PS: You will read about the need to cool your panettone upside down. This may well be necessary if you have used a Levito Madre or the BC20 Easy Panettone, as the structure of the baked dough is such that it can collapse on itself until it has cooled sufficiently. 

Happy Baking. 

Fluffy...and then some. 

Key Steps and Tips

• Skewer Before Baking: To avoid squeezing the delicate hot bread or having it pull apart, it is highly recommended to poke two skewers or long bamboo sticks (at least 2 inches longer than the diameter of the mould) through the paper mould/case near the bottom before placing the dough in the mould for the final proof. This ensures a clean and quick hanging process once it comes out of the oven.
• Use Proper Skewers: Flat or round metal/bamboo skewers work, but bamboo is often preferred as it doesn't get as hot as metal, making it easier to handle. Ensure they are long enough to rest across a gap (e.g., between two chairs or tall pots).
• Immediate Inversion: As soon as the panettone is removed from the oven, you must immediately invert it and hang it using the skewers.
• Proper Hanging Setup: Suspend the panettone upside down over a surface that allows for air circulation, such as between two chairs, two tall pots, or a stack of books, ensuring the panettone hangs freely without touching the surface below.
• Cool Completely: Leave the panettone hanging for a minimum of 2 hours, but often overnight (around 8 hours), to allow the starches and delicate structure to fully set as it cools.
• Ensure Proper Dough Strength: A common underlying cause for a panettone falling apart under its own weight (even with skewers) can be an issue with the dough itself, such as an overly acidic or weak natural starter (lievito madre), or insufficient gluten development during the mixing stage. Ensuring your starter is strong and the dough is kneaded until smooth and elastic is crucial for a stable structure

Springform tin? 

To cool a panettone baked in a springform tin, immediately release it from the tin (leaving the base attached), insert two long skewers horizontally through the cake about an inch from opposite edges and one inch from the bottom, then invert and hang it. The panettone must be suspended upside down for at least four hours or until completely cool. This hanging process is essential to prevent the delicate, airy structure from collapsing under its own weight while it stabilises.