Panettone Bread Recipe

5 from 30 votes

A success-guaranteed panettone bread recipe that I've been making for years without fail. Imagine a tall, buttery, and fluffy brioche with candied fruits and almonds, with amazing citrusy smell. It's perfect for Christmas and the holidays!

Prep Time40

Cook Time1

Servings: people

Author: Bea & Marco

Ingredients

Raisins

¼ cup (40 g) raisins
½ cup (125 ml) orange juice

The first proof

4 ¼ cup (550 g) bread flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoon (1.5 teaspoon) salt
1 orange, the zest
1 lemon, the zest
3 large eggs , room temperature
½ cup (125 ml) milk , warm
3 ½ teaspoon (11 g) instant dry yeast

The second proof

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks , room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
7 oz (200 g) unsalted butter , cut into small cubes, softened

The third proof

7 oz (200 g) assorted candied fruits , cut into small cubes
⅓ cup (50 g) toasted almonds , chopped

Others

1 teaspoon oil , to grease the working surface
1 egg , for egg wash

Instructions

Raisins

Soak raisins in orange juice the day before.

The first proof

Add all ingredients for the first proof in a standing mixer bowl. Take ¼ cup of the orange juice from soaking the raisins and add it in. Mix well and then knead for 10 minutes. Cover the bowl tightly with cling film and leave until the dough rises to double its size. This could take around 1-2 hours.
Cover the bowl tightly with cling film. Let the dough rise to double its size.

The second proof

Punch the dough to let the air out. Add egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract and mix well. While mixing, add the cubed butter bit by bit until they're all incorporated. This process could take more or less 5-10 minutes, don't rush it.
Then knead until the dough forms a ball. This will take around 20-30 minutes. The dough will be very soft and sticky at first, but it will form a soft ball at the end. Trust the process. Cover the dough tightly with cling film and leave until the dough rises to double its size. This could take around 1.5-2.5 hours.
Cover the bowl tightly with cling film and let the dough rise to double its size.

The third proof

Grease your working surface and your hands with some oil or butter. Pour the dough on it and stretch it into more or less a square shape.
Sprinkle candied fruits and almonds on top. Squeeze the raisins to discard the orange juice and sprinkle them on the dough. Gently knead the dough to distribute them evenly.
Fold it into an envelope, flip it, and place it inside the panettone mold of 2 lb (1 kg), on a tray. The tray will make it easier to move the mold without risking deflating the dough.
Cover it loosely with a cling film and let the dough rise until the top dome reaches almost 1 inch from the brim of the mold. Don't over-rise it. This could take 40-80 minutes.

Bake

Gently brush the top with some egg wash. Using a sharp knife, make a shallow cross on top and place some butter on the cross.
Bake at 360ºF or 180ºC, in a preheated oven with the fan turned off, on the lowest rack, for 60-70 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Flip upside down

Once removed from the oven, immediately insert 2 metal skewers through the panettone. Gently flip it upside down and hang it until it cools completely for 3-4 hours before slicing. Enjoy!

Notes

I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe as it's more precise.
Use a portable oven thermometer to get a precise oven temperature (I use it all the time).
The dough will be soft and sticky, do not be tempted to add more flour.
Do not let the dough rise too much in the third proof stage. The over-risen dough will result in the dough overflowing the mold when you bake it.
Cover the top loosely with aluminum foil if the panettone browns too fast.
Never slice a panettone (or any bread!) when it's still hot/warm.

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