American-Style Panettone

Recipe by PJ Hamel
34 Reviews 4.5 out of 5 stars

Ah, panettone! That ubiquitous (at Christmas) sweet bread of Milan, golden, high-rising, studded with citron and citrus peel — yuck! If that's your reaction, it may be because you just don't care for citron and candied peel. This panettone substitutes our favorite combination of dried fruits for the more traditional Italian fruits; feel free to try your own favorites, as well. The loaf also uses an overnight starter, which gives it the strength it needs to rise nice and tall.
 

Prep
20 mins
Bake
25 to 40 mins
Total
15 hrs 55 mins
Yield
1 round ring, or 10 mini panettones
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American-Style Panettone
American-Style Panettone
American-Style Panettone - select to zoom

Instructions

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  1. To make the biga: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine the flour, water and yeast, kneading briefly to make a stiff dough; if you're using a bread machine, allow the dough to knead for 5 minutes, then cancel the machine.

  2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and allow it to rise overnight, about 12 hours. It'll become bubbly.

  3. To make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer (or in the pan of your bread machine), combine biga and all of the ingredients except the dried fruit. Note: This dough is very difficult to make by hand; we suggest the use of a machine of some sort.

  4. Knead the dough till it's cohesive; it'll seem very gummy at first, but should come together nicely at the end. Don't worry if it doesn't form a smooth ball; it's OK if it sticks to the sides of the bowl a bit.

  5. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and allow it to rest for an hour. It won't rise much; that's OK.

  6. Knead the fruit into the dough, by hand or machine; knead only until the dough accepts the fruit, as over handling will cause the fruit to release too much sugar into the dough, slowing the rise.

  7. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes, then shape it into a round ball.

  8. Poke a hole in the center of the ball.

  9. Slip the dough over the ring of a lightly greased 9" to 10" tube pan or monkey bread pan.

  10. Cover the pan, and set the dough aside to rise for 2 hours or so. It probably won't double in size, but will puff up a bit; don't worry, this bread's oven spring is quite good.

  11. Bake the panettone in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 40 minutes, tenting it with aluminum foil for the final 15 minutes of baking if it appears to be browning too quickly. There's a wide time-range here due to the difference in center diameters of monkey bread and tube pans; the smaller the diameter, the longer the bread will bake. The internal temperature of the dough should register 190°F to 205°F when it's done, so use an instant-read thermometer to check. If you don't have a thermometer, poke a cake tester into the center; it should come out dry, without any crumbs or wet dough clinging to it.

  12. Remove the panettone from the oven, and after about 5 minutes turn it out of the pan. Brush with melted butter, if desired, for a soft, buttery crust. Cool on a rack.

  13. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar just before serving, if desired.

Tips from our Bakers

  • We like to fill panettone with our Fruitcake Fruit Blend, a mix of apricots, raisins, pineapple, dates, and cranberries, which we feel is more "user friendly" than the traditional dried citron and candied peel.  

  • SAF Gold instant yeast, formulated for sweet doughs, is a good selection here. If you use regular instant yeast, you may need to increase the rising times a bit.

  • Instead of baking panettone in the traditional tall, round loaf pan, which can result in a raw center and burned crust, we suggest the use of a tube pan or monkey bread pan. The pan's ring shape enhances even baking, and also makes for an attractive presentation.

  • To make small, gift-sized panettone, divide the dough into 4-ounce pieces, round into balls, and place in 10 lightly greased mini panettone paper pans. Allow to rise as directed at left, and bake for about 20 minutes, tenting with foil after 15 minutes.

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