American-Style Panettone

Ah, panettone! That ubiquitous (at Christmas) sweet bread of Milan, golden, high-rising, studded with citron and citrus peel - yuck! If that's your reaction, it's probably because a) you haven't had a good panettone, made the traditional way with a starter, or b) you just don't like citron and candied peel. If this reaction (and its possible causes) is yours, read on.
We often use a biga (overnight starter) when making ciabatta or other Italian loaves; we feel it helps bring out the wheat flavor in breads that might otherwise seem a bit plain. But in a sweet bread, loaded with sugar, butter and fruit - who needs a biga?
Well, as it turns out, panettone made with a biga has a moist, fine texture, and rises better than anything with that amount of sugar and fat has a right to. Though the dough still needs a big kick of instant yeast, the biga gives it the strength to take off and rise, despite the sugar and fat doing their best to retard the whole process.
And as for the fruit: our version uses our favorite combination of dried fruits: no citron, no peel. And, instead of the traditional tall, round loaf pan, which often results in a raw center and burned crust, we suggest the use of a tube or monkey bread pan, such as we use here.
Read our blog about this holiday bread, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.
Biga
- 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup cool water
- 1/16 teaspoon instant yeast
Dough
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into about 10 chunks
- 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 5 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups (about 9 ounces) dried fruit, chopped if large
Directions
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13) Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar just before serving, if desired. |
Recipe summary
- Hands-on time:
- 20 mins. to 25 mins.
- Baking time:
- 25 mins. to 40 mins.
- Total time:
- 15 hrs 55 mins. to 16 hrs 15 mins.
- Yield:
- 1 round ring, or 10 mini panettones
Overnight
- Recipe comments (3) »
Tips from our bakers
- We like to fill panettone with our Fruitcake Blend, a mix of apricots, raisins, pineapple, dates, and cranberries, which we feel is more "user friendly" than the traditional dried citron and candied peel. Chopped dates, dark raisins, and toasted walnuts would also seem appropriate, as would dried cranberries and cherries.
- Citrus-vanilla Fiori di Sicila ("Flowers of Sicily") is the traditional flavoring for panettone. Substitute lemon oil or about 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind, if desired.
- SAF Gold instant yeast, formulated for sweet doughs, is a good selection here. If you use regular instant yeast, you may need to increase the rising times a bit.
- To make small, gift-sized panettone, divide the dough into 4-ounce pieces, round into balls, and place in 10 lightly greased mini panettone paper pans. Allow to rise as directed at left, and bake for about 20 minutes, tenting with foil after 15 minutes.
Reviews
12/31/2008
Just baked this last night and it's a fantastic bread!! I used SAF yeast and it rose beautifully in my bundt pan. It not only tasted great but looked great as well. Your pictures helped me greatly. I would have used more flour than necessary, but I followed your instructions precisely and I'm glad I did. This is a keeper!!! Thank you sooooo much for this wonderful recipe.
12/26/2008
this was very dry compared to tradtional buttery panettone . I made french toast with it and fed the rest to the birds.
Sorry to hear this recipe did not work out for you. Please email bakers@kingarthurflour.com to troubleshoot. MJR @ KAF
11/24/2008
I've always used my own combination of fruits, so this was not new. However, the biga does make a big difference in the quality of the final product; the crumb is fine and easy to cut. This recipe is simple and easy enough to try, and make several with different dried fruit combinations. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

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