Easy Homemade Italian Christmas Bread Panettone Food

EASY HOMEMADE ITALIAN CHRISTMAS BREAD PANETTONE RECIPE

Steps:

• Pour milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Stir and cover. Let it sit for 7-8 minutes.
• Pour hot water over the raisins. Let them soak for 15 minutes. Train.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 3 eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, orange liqueur, lemon zest and orange zest. Add the milk yeast mixture.
• Switch to the hook attachment and add the flour and salt. Mix for 4- 5 minutes, then add the melted butter and mix until combined. Add the raisins and candied orange peel. Mix to combine.
• Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Transfer the dough to a floured surface and shape into a ball. Place in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until it doubles its size.
• Spray a 7-8 onch panettone mold with cooking spray.
• After the dough has risen, dump it onto a floured surface and shape into a ball. Transfer to the mold. Cut a cross on top and brush with some melted butter or just spray with the cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for one more hour, until it doubles (almost triples) its size.
• Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the panettone mold on a baking sheet. Brush with egg wash (egg + 1 tbsp water) and bake for 40 -45 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is golden brown. In the process of baking, if the panettone starts to brown too quickly, you can cover it with foil, to prevent burning.
• Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool completely. Store tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

PANETTONE RECIPE (ITALIAN CHRISTMAS BREAD)

Steps:

• Make the starter the night before you want to bake the panettone. Add your starter ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium mixing bowl. Stir with a spoon to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let it sit at room temperature overnight (8-12 hours).
• Soak your raisins overnight at room temperature by adding them to a small bowl with the rum and covering them. See notes.
• The next day, make your dough by adding your dough ingredients (not the raisins and zest yet) to the bowl with the starter. For the flour, start with 2 1/2 cups and add the rest of your dough ingredients.
• Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, mix the dough for about 30 seconds. Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead the dough for 15 minutes (I use speed 2 on my KitchenAid.) After a few minutes of kneading, if the dough isn't coming together, add 1/4 cup of flour, scrape the bowl and hook, and knead some more. The dough will be sticky and won't completely clear the sides of the bowl. It's okay if there's still a 3-inch circle of dough sticking to the bottom of the bowl.
• Add up to another 1/4 cup of flour only if your dough still isn't coming together. (Adding too much flour will make your panettone dry, so just add enough so you can work with the dough.)
• While your dough is kneading in your stand mixer, drain any excess rum from your raisins. Rinse and dry your orange and lemon. Zest the orange and lemon.
• When your dough is finished kneading, add in your raisins and zest. Keep the dough hook but use the lowest setting to stir in the fruit until combined, about 1-2 minutes.
• Gather the dough in a ball. You can leave it in the mixing bowl to rise or transfer it to a clean bowl, if you wish. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise for 1 1/2 hours in a draft-free spot (I like to set it in my microwave) until puffy.
• Once the dough has risen, it's time to add it to your greased panettone pan (6 or 7-inches tall) or other straight-sided, tall 1 1/2 quart-to-2-quart pan. You also could use a paper panettone mold.
• Let the dough rise again in the pan or mold for another hour, covered with plastic and a towel.
• Move your top oven rack down to a lower position to allow room for your panettone pan. Heat your oven to 400 degrees F.
• While the oven is heating, beat one egg in a measuring cup or small bowl. Brush the egg wash onto your panettone dough. (You won't need all of the egg.)
• When the oven is ready, bake your panettone for 10 minutes at 400. (Note, if you're using a panettone paper mold, you should only heat it to 390.)
• After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake the panettone for another 25-30 minutes. If your crust is browning too quickly, you can tent it with foil.
• Remove the panettone from the oven and insert a cake tester or toothpick to make sure it's done. If using a paper mold, the panettone can stay in the mold. If using a pan, let the panettone rest for five minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack. Turn the panettone right side up and let it cool completely before dusting it with confectioners sugar and slicing it.
• The panettone is freshest on the first day. You can freeze the cooled panettone by wrapping it in plastic then placing it in a freezer bag (slice it first if you wish) to keep it fresh.
• If you prefer to store leftover panettone at room temperature, wrap it tightly in plastic. (It helps to add a wedge of apple in there to keep it moist.) Then place the wrapped panettone in a sealed plastic bag. It should be eaten the next day or two before it gets too dry. Warming it a bit in the microwave helps to make it softer. You also can make French toast with the leftover panettone.

PANETTONE I

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine yeast, water and sugar. Cover and let stand 10 minutes, or until foamy. Add eggs, yogurt, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Mix well. Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms into a manageable ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary, until dough is soft and pliable, but not sticky. (May need up to 5 cups flour.) Place dough in a large, lightly pan-sprayed bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and spray a round 8-inch cake pan with non-stick spray. In a small bowl, toss dried fruit with confectioners' sugar. Punch down dough in bowl, transfer to floured surface, and knead in the fruit.
• Form dough into a ball, place in prepared cake pan, cover loosely with dish towel, and let rise 30 minutes. (Loaf will rise above the pan sides.) Brush with melted butter, if desired. Bake for 45 minutes, or until loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 10 wedges.

PANETTONE DI NATALE ITALIAN

Steps:

• Baking Pan: LARGE Tube pan, buttered.
• In a small bowl dissolve yeast in water.
• Stir briskly with a fork or metal whisk.
• Blend in 1/2 cup flour and let the sponge stand until it is bubbly--about 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar and follow this with eggs and egg yolks.
• Beat thoroughly until well mixed.
• Add yeast, vanilla, salt and about 4 cups of flour--one cup at a time.
• stir with a wooden spoon until it becomes too difficult to turn--then work in by hand.
• When it is soft, but not sticky, turn from the bowl onto a floured board or counter top.
• Knead the dough for about 8 minutes and divide the ball in two equal parts.
• One half is put aside to rest while the other half receives the raisins, candied peel, citron and chopped nuts Work the fruit and nuts in well.
• Keep the two halves separate.
• Place them in greased bowls, cover tightly with plastic wrap and move to a warm place (80 to 85 Degrees) to rise until doubled in bulk about 50 minutes.
• You can test if they have risen by poking a finger in them; the dents will remain.
• (I warm up my oven for a minute-- turn it off-- and leave the pilot light on, and put my dough here).
• Punch down the two doughs, separately turn them onto the floured surface, and knead again for 3 minutes.
• Butter pan, sprinkle it with sugar, and stud the bottom with whole blanched almonds.
• Roll the plain dough into a triangle.
• (The long side--about 24 inches--will encircle the tube, with the ends overlapping.) Roll out the fruit dough the same size.
• Lay it on top of the plain.
• Beginning at the base of the triangle, roll up the two doughs, and fit them into the prepared pan.
• Try an experimental circle before dropping the dough into the pan to be certain the ends overlap, and, together, are about the same thickness as the center of the roll.
• Cover the pan with wax paper and place in a warm spot to rise until dough has doubled in bulk about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes, REDUCE the oven temperature to moderate 350 F.
• and continue to bake for another 50 minutes, or until the loaf tests done.
• Insert a metal skewer or wooden toothpick into the center of the loaf.
• If it comes out clean and dry, the loaf is done.
• If moist particles cling to the probe, return the loaf to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
• Test again.
• Remove bread from the oven and turn from the pan and place on a cooling rack.
• Slice in wedges.
• The Complete Book of Breads.

PANETTONE CHRISTMAS BREAD

Steps:

• Combine warm water, milk, sugar and yeast in bowl of stand mixer. Let stand until yeast begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
• Add 1 ½ cup flour, salt, butter, oil and vanilla. Beat with paddle attachment until smooth.
• Add eggs and remaining flour, beat until smooth.
• Add fruit, beat until combined. Dough will be quite soft. Beat with paddle attachment until dough is smooth and elastic - about 5 minutes.
• Remove paddle and bowl from mixer. Leave paddle in bowl and spray top of dough with vegetable oil spray; cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare baking pan by greasing with butter or spray, and line with buttered parchment paper. Allow paper to make a 2" collar above edge of pan.
• When dough has risen, place bowl and paddle back onto mixer. Beat with mixer for 1 minute to punch down and redistribute yeast. Using a silicone spatula sprayed with non-stick spray, turn dough into prepared pan. Smooth top with wet spatula.
• Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap. Allow to rise for about an hour in a warm place until doubled, and the dough retains the imprint of your fingertip when lightly pressed.
• One half hour after setting loaf to rise, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bake fully risen loaf in center of oven for 30 to 50 minutes, until dark golden brown and temperature in center of loaf is 200 degrees F when checked with an instant-read probe thermometer.
• Turn out of pan right away, and cool on a rack. Remove paper while loaf is still quite warm so it will come off smoothly.
• Can be sliced and served as-is, toasted for breakfast, or used in bread pudding or French toast.