Family traditions are important to me, especially those that celebrate my Italian heritage. Each holiday, I try to find an Italian recipe I can incorporate into my own little family’s traditions. This year, I tried my hand at a panettone bread recipe. My grandparents are from Italy and my dad speaks nostalgically about my grandmother’s cooking. Unfortunately, my grandfather died before I was born and I was very young when my grandmother died. I have faint memories of her, but missed out on the opportunity to learn her cooking and baking secrets–and very few of her recipes survived her. Prior to this holiday, I had never heard of panettone bread. My Italian friend told me about it because she picked up a loaf to bring to a Christmas party. I asked my dad if my grandma made panettone when he was a kid, and he told me no. Despite the fact that he hadn’t enjoyed this bread as a child, I still wanted to give it a try. I searched and searched for a good recipe. I settled on this recipebut adapted it to suit our taste preferences. We chose to use orange zest instead of lemon because I read oranges are more traditional. I also thought oranges would taste better with the cherries and apricots. If you’re intimidated by the thought of making bread from scratch, don’t be! This panettone recipe was actually super easy to make and turned out so well. The bread is super moist and the addition of the honey butter on the top of the loaf created just the perfect touch of sweetness.
Are you looking for other Italian recipes? Check out my Italian Easter Cookies and Italian Wedding Cookies.
Yield: 12 servings
Easy Italian Panettone Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup driedcherries
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine yeast, water, and sugar. Cover and let stand 10 minutes, or until foamy.
- Add eggs, yogurt, vanilla, orange zest, and salt and mix well.
- Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms into a manageable ball.
- Place dough 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. (You may need up to 5 cups of flour.)
- Place dough in a large, lightly pan-sprayed bowl and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray an 8-inch round cake pan with non-stick spray.
- In a small bowl, toss dried fruit with confectioners' sugar. Punch down dough in the bowl, transfer to a floured surface, and knead in the fruit.
- Form dough into a ball, place in the prepared cake pan, cover loosely with a dish towel, and let rise for 30 minutes. (Loaf may rise above the pan sides.)
- Brush with melted butter, if desired. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Once done, brush the top of the loaf with an equal mixture of melted butter and honey.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1
Amount Per ServingCalories 248Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 36mgSodium 82mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 2gSugar 14gProtein 6g
Traditional Italian Panettone Recipe
Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup driedcherries
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine yeast, water, and sugar. Cover and let stand 10 minutes, or until foamy. Add eggs, yogurt, vanilla, orange zest, and salt and mix well. Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms into a manageable ball. Place dough 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. (You may need up to 5 cups of flour.) Place dough in a large, lightly pan-sprayed bowl and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray an 8-inch round cake pan with non-stick spray. In a small bowl, toss dried fruit with confectioners’ sugar. Punch down dough in the bowl, transfer to a floured surface, and knead in the fruit.
Form dough into a ball, place in the prepared cake pan, cover loosely with a dish towel, and let rise for 30 minutes. (Loaf may rise above the pan sides.) Brush with melted butter, if desired. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once done, brush the top of the loaf with an equal mixture of melted butter and honey.
FAQs
Panettone is famous for its tangy flavor and yellow, soft and gooey dough that is unlike no other. The secret behind it is an Italian yeast called lievito madre, or mother yeast. But it's not an easy yeast to work with: you need time and patience to master it.
What is the best Italian flour for panettone? ›
Special Mention: Italian Manitoba Flour
Manitoba wheat is usually ground into either type 00 or type 0 flour and used for baked goods that require a slow-rising process. For type 00, this would be Italian Panettone and Colomba cakes, German krapfens, or French croissants.
How do Italians eat panettone at Christmas? ›
With a drink: In Italy, it's not uncommon to enjoy a slice of panettone alongside a cup of coffee or tea, or a sweet wine like Vin Santo. The idea is to tear a piece of the panettone and dip it into the drink, allowing the bread to soak up some of the liquid.
Should panettone be refrigerated after opening? ›
- A: First of all, don't remove the paper wrapping, that will cause it to dry out. ...
- A: ...
- A: unopened it has a best if used by date on the box, I've had opened boxes stay fresh for a couple of weeks without refrigeration and It's better not to refrigerate panettone, it hardens it too much.
Due to the delicate structure of the dough, which consists mainly of eggs, butter, and sugar, we hang them upside down immediately after baking so the starches can set as they cool. This prevents them from collapsing, which is also why the are so soft and fluffy!
What is the distinctive flavor in panettone? ›
It contains candied orange, citron, and lemon zest, as well as raisins, which are added dry and not soaked. Many other variations are available such as plain or with chocolate. It is served in wedge shapes, vertically cut, accompanied with sweet hot beverages or a sweet wine, such as Asti or Moscato d'Asti.
What is the difference between cheap and expensive panettone? ›
Artisanal panettone will have higher amounts of yolks and butter without emulsifiers or preservatives. They will contain real vanilla beans and not the cheaper vanillin. The fruit will be high quality candied citrus (not only orange, but often also pricier citron) and not industrial candied citrus with sulfur dioxide.
What is the most expensive panettone? ›
The most expensive panettone in the world, since the world has existed, is produced by a pastry shop in Carmagnola, a small municipality. It is worth 700 thousand euros as it is completely covered with gold and diamonds. Her destiny was not to end up in a jewelry store (perhaps Tiffany's), but at an Indian table.
Who makes the best panettone in Italy? ›
Olivieri 1882
They've been making this Italian classic since 1882, and have passed down their panettone recipe through generations of bakers. If you want something that's super traditional, their classic panettone is a perfect example of the form, while the apricot salted caramel variety is a little more modern.
Why are panettone so expensive? ›
Many high-quality panettone varieties are produced by artisanal bakeries using traditional techniques. Artisanal production often results in smaller batches and more hands-on attention to detail, which can increase the overall cost of production.
Panettone. The “big bread.” (Because this is what panettone just means, and yet and indeed it is The Big Thing when it comes to celebrating Christmas in Italy.)
Do you put butter on panettone? ›
Toasted with sweet topping
Perhaps our favourite combination must be freshly toasted panettone topped with a decadent, sweet topping. For example, thickly spread with rich Piemontese chocolate & hazelnut spread or simply buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar for a festive twist.
How to know if panettone is bad? ›
A good panettone must come out of the cup and form a completely rounded dome – if it is flat it means that there was a cooking or leavening problem. 5- Alveolation: that is the cavities produced by the natural leavening of the panettone, which can be observed once cut.
What is the lifespan of panettone? ›
How long will panettone keep? Panettone keeps far longer than other breads or cakes. For a classic panettone the shelf life might well be 4-6 months. However, panettone with flavoured creams are usually shorter, perhaps 2-3 months.
Is it OK to freeze panettone? ›
Storing and Freezing Panettone
The panettone should last up to five days, though it tends to be a bit drier after a day or two. I have never seen a scrap left after the first day. You can also wrap it in plastic and then foil, and freeze it for up to two months.
Why is panettone so special? ›
A traditional panettone starts with the lievito madre, the “mother dough” you might recognize as a sourdough starter. In serious Italian bakeries, this mother is carefully protected, added to over generations and considered a living part of the family.
What makes panettone last so long? ›
High sugar content: Panettone bread contains a high amount of sugar, which acts as a natural preservative. Sugar helps to inhibit the growth of bacteria and mold, extending the shelf life of the bread [1].
Why does panettone taste weird? ›
It has a texture akin to sandwich bread, in that when you compress it between your fingers it can be molded into Play-Doh-esque forms. It's porous and slightly sour, a flavor it derives from the intense fermenting process it undergoes before it hits the oven.
Why doesn't panettone get moldy? ›
Fat also keeps bread from staling too quickly—the fattier the bread, the slower its decay. Breads like focaccia, brioche, or panettone, made with large amounts of oil and butter, tend to have a longer shelf life.
