If you’re a fan of brioche, this holiday season, it’s impossible not to succumb to the urge to make a delicious homemade panettone! This classic Italian pastry, often spotted in its pretty packaging in the shops, deserves to be made at home.
Panettone is a must-have and an emblem of Italian pastry-making, just like pandoro, tiramisu, panna cotta and so on. A soft brioche filled with raisins, perfect for the festive season. If you like light, fragrant brioches, this homemade recipe will delight your family.
This brioche has grown in popularity in France in recent years, becoming a staple of the festive season, alongside other classics such as the Alsatian kougelhopf or pain d’épices.
Panettone is said to have originated in Milan, at the court of the Duke of Milan. A servant would have prepared it to replace a burnt dessert. The Duke liked the brioche very much, and named it “pan di Toni”, meaning “Toni’s bread”, after the name of the servant. That’s how the famous panettone was born, and today it’s a symbol of Italian pastry-making, especially at Christmas.
Table of Contents
Tips and tricks
Panettone is traditionally made with sourdough and filled with raisins and candied fruit, which are macerated beforehand. This panettone recipe is simplified, without the use of sourdough or an overnight rise. The rise time is still long, so it’s important to start in the morning to ensure enough time for the dough to rise properly. However, you can prepare the dough the day before and leave it to rise overnight in the fridge.
The result is wonderful, with a delightful brioche aroma filling the house during baking. It’s reminiscent of the mouth-watering smell of “french viennoiseries”you get when you walk past a bakery. A real treat!
For a more indulgent version, you can add chocolate chips to the panettone for an extra layer of flavor and sweetness. Since I didn’t have any orange peel, I replaced the 50g with raisins instead.
I used two types of raisins: blonde and brown (Corinth raisins), which are more visible. In the photo below, I added cranberries and candied orange peel, but the panettone is much better with raisins and candied fruits.
Here’s my first realization, a few years ago. Depending on the eggs and lighting, the color of the panettone can appear more yellow.
How to prevent panettone from collapsing?
When the panettone comes out of the oven, it’s usually hung upside down from skewers that have been pricked into it. The panettone is very airy and light when it comes out of the oven. Hanging it upside down helps prevent it from collapsing or becoming misshapen, preserving its dome shape. It retains its domed shape at the top.
I didn’t do it because, at the time, I hadn’t planned to hang it. It slightly shriveled on the sides, but nothing serious.
panettone recipe
Recipe video
Ingredients:
NB: Find the printable recipe card at the end of the article.
I used a 20 cm by 9 cm ( 7.9-inch by 3.5-inch )Tefal saucepan (without handles) and lined it with parchment paper, letting it extend over the edges (in order) to prevent the dough from overflowing.
- 500 g ( 17.6 oz) sifted all-purpose flour
- 80 g (2.8 oz) soft butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 300 ml (10.6 oz) whole milk
- 70 g (2.5 oz) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh baker’s yeast (10 g) (0.35 oz)
- 200 g (7 oz) raisins
- 50 g (1.8 oz ) candied fruit, orange peel or other, I substituted raisins
- 2 pinches salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon and orange zest
- a pinch of vanilla powder or 1 sachet of vanilla sugar
For the egg wash
1 egg yolk with 1/2 teaspoon milk
Preparation steps :
1. Take the butter, milk, and eggs out of the refrigerator 1 hour before starting to allow them to come to room temperature.
2. Dilute the fresh baker’s yeast in a little cold milk.
3. Place all the ingredients (except the dried fruit) in the bowl of the stand mixer and knead for 5 min on low speed (2 on kitchenaid), then 2 min on medium speed and finish with 3 min on low speed, for a total of 10 minutes.
If you don’t have a mixer, knead by hand for about 20 minutes.
4. Add the dried fruits and mix for a few seconds on low speed to incorporate them evenly into the dough. You can soak the raisins in orange juice beforehand, then drain before adding them.
5. Gather the dough into a ball, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the dough to another container if you need the mixer bowl for another use. Leave to rise for 45 minutes in a warm place until doubled in size.
Note: You can place the dough in a slightly warmed oven, then turn it off to help with rising. The temperature should not exceed 35°C (95°F).
6. Grease a 20 cm diameter high mould like this one. You can also use a paper mold if preferred. I used a 9 cm (3.5 in) high Tefal saucepan and added parchment paper around it to increase the height. I didn”t cut the greaseproof paper because I didn”t know how much it would stick out. Add 4 cm (1.5 in) more. You can see it in the video.
7. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and knead for 1 minute, then shape into a ball the size of your mold.
8. Place it in the mold and flatten the top slightly for a smooth, even surface. Leave to rise for about 2 hours (the dough should double in volume).
9. After this time, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
10. Gently brush the top of the panettone with egg yolk beaten with 1/2 teaspoon milk and bake for 40 to 50 minutes more or less.
You can sprinkle flaked almonds or pearl sugar on top.
11. Keep an eye on the cooking time and cover with aluminum foil if the surface is browning too much.
12. Check for doneness by inserting a skewer into the panettone. It should come out dry.
13. Turn out of the oven and leave to cool before dusting with powdered sugar.
How to store homemade panettone?
Like all brioches, panettone can be kept well-wrapped in an airtight tin for 3 days. It will retain all its softness after a short spell in the hot oven, turned off.
To keep panettone for a long time, simply wrap well and freeze. Freeze the whole or as sliced like i did. I slice the panettone and wrap each slice individually before freezing them.
That way I can defrost as much as I need.
Easy Traditional Italian Panettone Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- I used a 20 cm by 9 cm (7.9-inch by 3.5-inch) Tefal saucepan (without handles) and lined it with parchment paper, letting it extend over the edges (in order) to prevent the dough from overflowing.
- 500 g (17.6 oz) sifted all-purpose flour
- 80 g (2.8 oz) soft butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 300 ml (10.6 oz) whole milk
- 70 g (2.5 oz) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh baker's yeast 10 g (0.35 oz)
- 200 g (7 oz) raisins
- 50 g (1.8 oz) candied fruit, orange peel or other, I substituted raisins
- 2 pinches salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon and orange zest
- a pinch of vanilla powder or 1 sachet of vanilla sugar
For the egg wash
- 1 egg yolk with 1/2 teaspoon milk
PREPARATION
- Take the butter, milk, and eggs out of the refrigerator 1 hour before starting to allow them to come to room temperature.
- Dilute the fresh baker's yeast in a little cold milk.
- Place all the ingredients (except the dried fruit) in the bowl of the stand mixer and knead for 5 min on low speed (2 on kitchenaid), then 2 min on medium speed and finish with 3 min on low speed, for a total of 10 minutes.
- If you don't have a mixer, knead by hand for about 20 minutes.
- Add the dried fruits and mix for a few seconds on low speed to incorporate them evenly into the dough. You can soak the raisins in orange juice beforehand, then drain before adding them.
- Gather the dough into a ball, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the dough to another container if you need the mixer bowl for another use. Leave to rise for 45 minutes in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Note: You can place the dough in a slightly warmed oven, then turn it off to help with rising. The temperature should not exceed 35°C (95°F).
- Grease a 20 cm diameter high mould like this one. You can also use a paper mold if preferred. I used a 9 cm (3.5 in) high Tefal saucepan and added parchment paper around it to increase the height. I didn''t cut the greaseproof paper because I didn''t know how much it would stick out. Add 4 cm (1.5 in) more. You can see it in the video.
- Turn the dough out onto the work surface and knead for 1 minute, then shape into a ball the size of your mold.
- Place it in the mold and flatten the top slightly for a smooth, even surface. Leave to rise for about 2 hours (the dough should double in volume).
- After this time, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Gently brush the top of the panettone with egg yolk beaten with 1/2 teaspoon milk and bake for 40 to 50 minutes more or less.
- You can sprinkle flaked almonds or pearl sugar on top.
- Keep an eye on the cooking time and cover with aluminum foil if the surface is browning too much.
- Check for doneness by inserting a skewer into the panettone. It should come out dry.
- Turn out of the oven and leave to cool before dusting with powdered sugar.
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