Panettone

This recipe has a bit of a back-story for me. I am completely giddy to be posting it! I first heard of Panettone from  Giada de Laurentiis on the Food Network's show "Best Thing I Ever Ate." She described this Italian holiday staple as a buttery, eggy bread, much like brioche, full of bits of candied fruit, with a crisp crust. It sounded heavenly, and I couldn't wait to look up a recipe!! But then she showed her favorite bakery that made it... and there were so many steps! Including letting it hang upside down?! So I tossed that idea in the mental trashcan, and looked no further, assuming that this was one of those recipes I would never be able to attempt. However, with the discovery of the genius that is Pinterest, I stumbled upon multiple panettone recipes!! After very careful comparison and research, I chose this one to try.

Source: Artisan Bread In 5

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day is an amazing site, from an amazing cookbook, which is very much on my wishlist. That's where I found my Slow-Cooker Bread too! The only problem is, I can't find those lovely panettone molds anywhere! Except Amazon, of course. But I wasn't sure I wanted to buy a bulk package without even trying the recipe... So mine doesn't look quite as amazing as theirs. But it is fantabulous, nonetheless. Perhaps worth the purchase of some molds...?

Panettone (adapted from Artisan Bread in 5)
Printable Recipe

3/4 cup lukewarm water
3/4 Tb yeast
3/4 Tb kosher (coarse flakey) salt
1/4 cup honey
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest from 1 oranges
3-4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups mixed dried and/or candied fruit, nuts, etc. chopped (I used chocolate chips, cranberries, and pistachios. You can use pretty much any add-ins you like!)
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water)
Sugar for sprinkling on the top of the loaf (I used turbinado, I love its golden crunchyness)

*If using a regular loaf pan, this recipe makes 2 loaves. If you find panettone molds(6-7 inches), double this recipe for 3 loaves*

Mix yeast, salt, honey, eggs, melted butter, extracts and zest with the water in a large bowl. Stir in flour and add-ins (fruit, nuts, etc) to make a pretty sticky, shaggy dough. Stir just until all flour is incorporated. 

Cover with a clean towel, or loose plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses a bit (it may not collapse, it's okay) about 2 hours. Depending on the warmth of your kitchen, the time will vary.

After its 2 hour rest, cover (not airtight) and place in fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days. (You can use it right after the 2 hour chill, but the recipe recommends letting it stay in the fridge for 24 hours to develop its flavors. I'm testing that as we speak :) "Beyond that, the dough stores well in the freezer for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container. Freeze in one-pound portions. When using frozen dough, thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours before use, then allow usual rest and rise time. Defrost dough overnight in the refrigerator if frozen."

When you are ready to bake, grease a panettone or brioche pan with butter. (If you can find one!! I just used a normal loaf pan, lined with parchment and greased with butter)

Sprinkle the refrigerated dough with flour and grab half of it. Dust it with a bit more flour and "quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Place the ball into the pan, seam side down."

Cover the loaf lightly with greased plastic wrap (or spray the top of your loaf with cooking spray) and let rise 1 hour and 40 minutes.

While it is resting (about 20 minutes before you're ready to put it in the oven) preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position the rack in the middle.

Remove the plastic wrap and brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar. 

Bake for about 30 minutes (for a normal loaf pan) or about 50 minutes (for a panettone mold) until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Depending on the size of pan you use, and the amount of dough, this time could vary greatly. Just keep an eye on it!

Let cool before slicing. 

Just look at that gorgeous golden crust!! It was a success even without the traditional shape!!

It smelled heavenly while baking too. Citrus scented, buttery and golden, with little nuggets of crunchy, chocolatey, salty, fruity goodness!! 

You know I love citrus zest with all my heart!!

You could do so many plays on this, it's ridiculous. 

And I took a LOT of pictures. The crunchy, sugary crust is my favorite part. It somehow becomes barely salty...

which pairs perfectly with this barely sweet bread. Just barely. A hint of sweet. Oh heavens, I bet this would make jaw-dropping french toast... 

I'll get back to you on that...!

Shared at On the Menu Monday, Tasty Tuesdays, and Foodie Fridays