Panettone - First Attempt

Panettone

I typically don’t go into how I research recipes because really who cares? This site, www.theeggday.com is a resource for me to remember recipes I’ve made and maybe want to make again. But I do want to remember I looked across the internet for guidance. There is a back up google doc with spreadsheets for comparisons and further delving, but again, boring to all but me.

I compared Serious Eats (SE), Not Quite Nigella (NQN), and King Arthur Flour (KAF) Panettone Recipes. Also read an in depth article re: Philadelphia’s Racquet Club Chocolate Panettone. Not for the weak at heart who may want to adventure into panettone making. Very intimidating. 

I compared ratios. Flour to add ins, flour to butter, flour to sugar, butter to egg, etc. etc. So taking what I know and going with the ingredients in my house, I had buttermilk due to expire, I used the SE recipe for weights and measures, and used only yellow fruits, golden raisins, dried pineapple and lemon/citron (about 63g each to get to 200g).

I also learned about panettone paper mold sizes. I had ordered some off the internet not really knowing what I was doing and received P110s, which I think I will continue to use forever because they are the perfect size for gift giving.

The best part of recipe research is learning new things.

Do not attempt this without a stand mixer. It needs to be kneaded minimally 35 minutes in the mixer. This was probably considered a tremendous treat not only for the costly ingredients but also for the amount of human labor it would have taken before mixers. Ugh, I can’t imagine. Well, I can imagine and thank you for technology.

Blondie Panettone

Based on Serious Eats Recipe
Ingredients

400 grams All-Purpose Flour, divided

175 grams Cultured Buttermilk, divided

125 grams Egg Yolks, about 6

200 grams total dried fruit. Candied lemon, dried pineapple and golden raisins (about 63g each)

Zest of 1 lemon

100 grams Brandy

75 grams Hazelnuts, crushed and toasted

75 grams Sugar

12 grams Salt

10 grams plus a pinch Instant Yeast

150 grams Butter, cold but softened

1 egg

Fancy sugar

Directions

For the Biga: The night before you plan to bake, combine 200 grams of flour, 135 grams of buttermilk, and a small pinch of yeast in a medium bowl with your hands. You’ll knead it together. It will look like dough, not batter. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 16 hours. The biga should double in size.

For the add ins: Combine the dried fruit, cut small, brandy and lemon zest. Simmer in a small pan to hydrate the fruit and reduce the alcohol. Cool. Toast and chop the hazelnut. For a boozier flavor use Bourbon and soak overnight without heating.

Yellow fruits and golden hazelnuts.

For the Dough: Place the remaining 200 grams flour, all of the biga, the egg yolks, the remaining 45 grams buttermilk, and the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Mix on low speed until the dough is fully incorporated and smooth, 5 minutes. When the initial mix has come fully together into a smooth ball, add the salt and sugar. Continue mixing on medium-slow speed for 10 minutes. You should have a ball formed dough.

Return the mixer to slow speed and add the butter in small pieces. Mix until butter is fully incorporated into dough, scraping down the sides of the work bowl. When the butter is fully incorporated about 15 minutes of mixing, the dough should feel looser than before but not greasy.

Mix the dough for the whole amount of time suggested to for the gluten development which will give structure to the bread so it can become tall.

Add the fruit and the liquid from the fruit if you cooked it down, which shouldn’t be much. If you soaked overnight, strain the booze off your fruit, do not add it to the dough as it will make the dough wet and impeded the rise. (Make a delicious cocktail with the strained off liquid.) Add the hazelnuts to the dough. Mix low speed until your dough re-forms into a coherent ball with the mix ins distributed throughout. This should take 5 minutes.

Using a bowl scraper, transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. For P110 mold, weigh the dough into thirds around 420g per mold. Form a ball and with the seam side down place into the mold.  The ball of dough should fill somewhere between a quarter and a third of the mold. Beat egg well and brush over the top of the panettone. Lightly but securely cover your filled panettone mold with plastic wrap. Allow to proof in a warm, slightly humid place until the dough fills the mold roughly 2/3 high, 8 to 10 hours for a P110, up to 12 hours for larger panettones.

I imagine you have a kitchen scale if you are making this recipe. Measure your portions by weight so they are equal. They will rise and bake in the same amount of time that way.

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for a convection oven). When the panettone is appropriately risen, apply a second coat of egg wash, sprinkle with fancy sugar, place it on a rimmed baking sheet, and place in oven. Bake the panettone until the tops are a deep, golden brown, and a pastry tester or knife pushed into the center comes out clean, approximately 35 minutes for P110, Up to 45 minutes for larger loaves. 195F for an internal temperature.  Rotate the loaves midway through the bake. When done, poke two skewers through the bottom to hang them upside down to cool for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Stored in a plastic bag, the panettone will stay moist and fresh for at least 4 days.

Hanging by skewers. This is done to keep the bread from falling backdown on itself as it cools. It’s fun to do too.

Who would not love a pretty packaged panettone for the holidays?

I understand that should it go dry on you, like if you didn’t eat it up quickly enough, as if, panettone makes a lovely French toast.