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 can be served just as it is, but many people find it a bit dry. It's common to serve it with a sweet wine and an accompaniment of something rich and creamy, perhaps based on mascarpone (with egg yolks, as used in tiramisu), plus dried or candied fruits.
What is the best Italian flour for panettone? ›
00 Pizza flour has a very fine granule and high gluten percentage. This helps speed up gluten formation. If you can't find pizza flour, that's fine, just bread flour only. Alternatively you can buy vital wheat gluten and mix with your bread flour and make your own high-gluten flour.
What is the secret of panettone? ›
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.
How long does homemade panettone stay fresh? ›
Storing and Freezing Panettone
Cool completely and wrap the bread well in foil. 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.
What time of day do Italians eat panettone? ›
Traditionally, panettone is served after the enormous Christmas day feast, however, very few have any room left for dessert, so we also eat our panettone in the mornings with a milky, frothy cappuccino. We also love it as our “Merenda” , a sweet snack in the afternoon with an espresso.
Why is panettone so expensive? ›
Panettone tends to be a little more expensive than most other baked goods, mainly due to the amount of time that goes into making each one. A traditional panettone is usually a lengthy procedure, however, a cheap mass-produced alternative will take shortcuts in the baking process which will be reflected in its taste.
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 best panettone Italian brand? ›
The Best Panettone Makes the Perfect Edible Gift
- Olivieri 1882. If I had to pick one brand of panettone to eat for the rest of my life, it would be Olivieri 1882. ...
- Fabbri. ...
- Settepani. ...
- Chiostro di Saronno. ...
- Pasticceria Scarpato.
The Bite/N mixers are perfect for particularly hydrated types of dough that are used to make baguettes, sliced bread, and breadsticks, for example, but also pastries such as croissants, panettone, and brioches.
Why do you turn panettone upside down? ›
The dimensions should be around 13,5 cm / 5.3 inch diameter and a height of 9.5 cm / 3.7 inch. Panetonne needs to cool upside down after baking, because the delicate and fluffy bread would collapse if you leave it standing up after baking.
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!
Why do you need to hang panettone upside down? ›
Cooling the panettone upside down prevents it from collapsing before it is fully set. You'll need to set up a hanging apparatus or create a hanging area to do this. I usually hang mine between two large flour bins, but others use a clothing drying rack or suspend the loaf over a bowl.
Should you butter panettone? ›
Panettone can be eaten in a variety of ways. It's commonly sliced and enjoyed as is, but it can also be toasted, buttered, used in desserts like bread pudding, or even paired with savoury dishes.
What does panettone mean in English? ›
[panetˈtone ] masculine noun. panettone ⧫ dome-shaped spiced bread made with candied fruits and sultanas, eaten at Christmas.
How do Italians traditionally eat panettone? ›
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.
Is panettone an Italian Christmas tradition? ›
We are in the heart of the sweetest season: panettone and pandoro! The holidays in Italy wouldn't be complete without panettoni and pandori: they are as iconic as a tree, wreath, or mistletoe in other cultures.
Is panettone a Christmas thing? ›
Panettone (/ˌpænɪˈtoʊni/, Italian: [panetˈtoːne]; Milanese: panetton [paneˈtũː]) is an Italian type of sweet bread and fruitcake, originally from Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year in Western, Southern, and Southeastern Europe, as well as in South America, Eritrea, Australia, the United ...
