Panettone

5 from 1 ratings

A sourdough panettone bread recipe that is soft, light and full of flavor! Traditional panettone takes a little time and patience, but the resulting bread is worth it. You can either have a quick panettone recipe or the best. This is the best.

Prep Time1

Cook Time40

Rest/Proof5 30

Total Time7 10

Course: Bread, Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Author: Chef Lindsey

Ingredients

Soaker

121 g dark raisins
39 g candied orange peel
39 g candied lemon peel
½ orange zested
1 lemon zested
78 g water or you can use the juice from the citrus above
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Levain Build

62 g bread flour or ap flour
62 g water
93 g active sourdough culture

Final Dough

375 g all-purpose flour
216 g levain all the levain build from above
225 g egg yolks approximately 10 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
120 g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon honey
5 g diastatic malt powder
113 g unsalted butter
soaker from above
Belgian pearl sugar for topping
egg for topping

Instructions

Mix the soaker: Combine all the ingredients for the soaker in a covered container. Mix to moisten and set aside at room temperature. Let sit overnight or longer, shaking or stirring every few days.
Build the levain: Five hours before you want to mix the dough, feed the starter in the ratio listed above. You can either make the exact amount listed and feed your starter separately or make 1.5-2x the amount above to ensure you have enough left over to feed. Let ferment 5 hours in a warm spot (85°F) or longer if it is cooler.

Mix the dough:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine all-purpose flour, levain, egg yolks, instant yeast, salt, honey, and diastatic malt powder. Mix on low to combine then develop some gluten on medium speed before slowly adding in the sugar in batches.
Once the sugar is incorporated, add the room temperature butter.
Once the butter is incorporated, add the soaker and mix in on low speed.
Turn out into an oiled bowl, cover and bulk ferment (proof) for 4-5 hours in a warm spot (85°F) or longer if it is cooler.
Pre-shape round by folding all 4 corners into the center, flipping it over (seam side down) and tightening into a ball by pulling towards you with both hands. Cover with plastic wrap and let it bench rest 10-15 minutes to relax the gluten.
Final shape into a round boule by flipping the seam side up, folding all 4 corners into the center. Flip it back over seam-side down and tighten into a ball with a smooth top by pulling towards you with both hands.
Place each boule seam-side down in panettone papers. You can final proof in a warm spot for 4-5 hours or until the dough reaches the top of the panettone paper, or, for the best flavor, proof at room temperature for 1 hour and then refrigerate, covered, overnight.
If you proofed the panettone in the refrigerator overnight, you will then want to final proof for 3-4 hours at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and once the dough has risen to the top edge of the panettone papers, beat an egg until loose and liquidy. Gently brush the top of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle on Belgian pearl sugar crystals if desired.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 40-45 minutes. The internal dough temperature should be 185°F.

Notes

Yield – 1 loaf

Presentation – Use panettone papers for the best and most traditional presentation.

Variations – Divide the dough into 30g portions for individual panettones, use your favorite alcohol for the soaker, or try a different dried fruit or chocolate as a mix in.

Storage – Store well wrapped panettone at room temperature for up to 7 days, but I do find that it slowly loses moisture over that time. Alternatively you can freeze the baked and cooled loaves well wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 months.

Nutrition