Panettone ( Daring Baker's December 2012)

I have been planning to make a panettone this year, and I was delighted when I saw in Daring Balers foroum that the challenge was this famous Italian sweet bread.
Though initially I was a bit reluctant to make them as it had so much butter eggs etc.. but if you look to the size of breads I think it is not tha tmuch butter :-)

Plus I loved how special the bread is made and knew if I tried this recipe it would be delicious and I was not wrong, we loved them at home.
I did half the recipe from below.
Ofcourse as I didn't had a panettone tin or paper I improvised and used Tins :-)

I especially did that as I could give two away as presents for my inlaws.

The December 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Marcellina ofMarcellina in Cucina. , it is a traditional Italian holiday bread.

 



Ingredients

Sponge

1 satchel (2¼ teaspoons) (7 gm) active dry yeast

1/3 cup (80 ml) warm water

½ cup (70 gm) unbleached all purpose flour

First Dough

1 satchel (2¼ teaspoons) (7 gm) active dry yeast

3 tablespoons (45 ml) warm water

2 large eggs, at room temp

1¼ cup (175 gm) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour

¼ cup (55 gm) (2 oz) sugar

½ cup (1 stick) (115 gm) unsalted butter, at room temp

Second dough

2 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

2/3 cup (150 gm) (5-2/3 oz) sugar

3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract

1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon essence/extract

1 teaspoon (5 ml) orange essence/extract

1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) salt

1 cup (2 sticks) (225 gm) unsalted butter, at room temp

3 cups (420 gm) (15 oz) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour; plus up to (2/3 cup) 100 gm for kneading

Filling and final dough ( I am writting what I added than in the original recipe)

200 gm dry cranberris

50 gm golden sultanas

½ cup (75 gm) (2-2/3 oz) candied citron

½ cup (75 gm) (2-2/3 oz) candied orange peel

Grated zest of 1 orange

Grated zest of 1 lemon

I also added a little bit of orange blossom flower

2 tbsp of orange liquour

2 to 3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) (15-25 gm) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour



Directions:

Sponge

1. Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl and allow to stand until creamy. That’s about 10 .
2. Mix in the flour
3. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size for about 20 to 30 minutes

First Dough
By hand:

1. Mix the yeast and water in a large bowl and allow to stand until creamy. Again, about 10 minutes or so
2. Mix in the sponge and beat well with a wooden spoon
3. Stir in the eggs, flour and sugar.
4. Mix in the butter well
5. This should only take about 5 – 6 minutes
6. Cover with plastic wrap and allow double in size, about 1 – 1 ¼ hours

Second dough

By Mixer:

1. With the paddle mix in thoroughly the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, honey, vanilla, essences/extracts, and salt.
2. Mix in the butter until smooth.
3. Add the flour and slowly incorporate.
4. At this stage the dough will seem a little too soft, like cookie dough.
5. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead for about 2 minutes.
6. Turn out the dough and knead it on a well-floured surface until it sort of holds its shape.
7. Don’t knead in too much flour but you may need as much as 2/3 cup (100 gm). Be careful the excess flour will affect the finished product.

First Rise

1. Oil a large bowl lightly, plop in your dough and cover with plastic wrap
2. Now we need to let it rise until it has tripled in size. There are two ways to go about this.
1. Rise in a warm place for 2 – 4 hours

Filling and Final Rise:

1. I mixed the fruits miw with orange liquour and did everything for 1 to 2 minute in the MW..
2. Now take your dough and cut it in half. Remember we are making two panettoni.
3. Combine all your filling ingredients and mix well

After this step I just mixed all my fruit mix into the dough by hand, ( did't do like the DB recipe mentioned)
Shape each into a ball and slip into your prepared pans, panettone papers or homemade panettone papers.

1. Cut an X into the top of each panettone and allow to double in size.
2. Rising time will vary according to method of first rise. If it has been in the refrigerator it could take 4 hours or more. If it has been rising on the kitchen bench in a warm place it should be doubled in about 2 hours

Baking

1. When you think your dough has only about 30 minutes left to rise preheat your oven to moderately hot 400°F/200°C/gas mark 6 and adjust your oven racks
2. Just before baking carefully (don’t deflate it!) cut the X into the dough again and place in a knob (a nut) of butter.
3. Place your panettoni in the oven and bake for 10 minutes
4. Reduce the heat to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and bake for another 10 minutes
5. Reduce the heat again to moderate 325°F/160°C/gas mark 3 and bake for 30 minutes until the tops are well browned and a skewer inserted into the panettone comes out clean.
   In the recipe there was a special method they used for cooling the bread which I didn't do as I didn't get it , so i just folded two dry kitchen towels and them kept the pannotni on top and every 10 to 15 minutes I turned .