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
Sourdough is a mixture of flour and water that naturally contains some bacteria, and yeast. It makes the panettone ferment, providing it with an unmistakable and very pleasant aroma, and also ensuring that it has a spongy texture for longer. In short, pure magic!
What is the best Italian flour for panettone? ›
Special Mention: Italian Manitoba Flour
Manitoba wheat is usually ground into either type 00 or type 0 flour and used for baked goods that require a slow-rising process. For type 00, this would be Italian Panettone and Colomba cakes, German krapfens, or French croissants.
How do Italians eat panettone at Christmas? ›
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 makes 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.
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.
Why do you store panettone upside down? ›
Since the dough is very rich, but also very airy, it tends to collapse and deflate as soon as it cools. For this reason, traditional panettone is skewered with a special rack right when it comes out of the oven, and immediately hung upside down for 8 hours to cool and rest.
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 most expensive panettone? ›
Dario Hartvig, pastry chef at Pasticceria del Borgo in Carmagnola, has created the most luxurious panettone in the world: 5 kg of saffron and dark chocolate dough covered with a sheet of 22-carat gold and the possibility of adding diamonds to order.
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.
In Italy, historical accounts of panettone invariably state that it originated in Milan. The word panettone derives from panetto, a small loaf of bread. The augmentative suffix -one changes the meaning to "large bread".
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.
How long does panettone last unopened? ›
Italy's favourite festive sweet bread lasts around 45 days if unopened due to the delicious butter content which ensures the dough stays softer for longer.
How do Italians eat panettone? ›
Warmed & served with stewed fruit.
A great option for an Italian-inspired dinner party is to serve your warm panettone with stewed fruit such as poached pears in saffron or red wine. Alternatively, spiced stewed apples with cloves and cinnamon certainly ticks all the festive boxes.
Why doesn't panettone get moldy? ›
Fat also keeps bread from staling too quickly—the fattier the bread, the slower its decay. Breads like focaccia, brioche, or panettone, made with large amounts of oil and butter, tend to have a longer shelf life.
How much does a panettone cost in Italy? ›
Prices of Christmas desserts in Italy in 2022 and 2023 (in euros per kilogram)
| Characteristic | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|
| Hand-made Panettone | 40 | 43 |
| Vegan Panettone | 34 | 39 |
| Lactose-free Panettone | 29.2 | 29.6 |
| Gluten free Panettone* | 15.58 | 16.99 |
5 more rowsDec 8, 2023
Panettone is Hung Upside Down After Baking
Once traditional panettone is finished baking, it is flipped upside down until it's completely cool. This eye-catching technique prevents the bread from falling in on itself and keeps the soft and fluffy texture.
What makes panettone last so long? ›
The presence of eggs and butter helps to keep the bread soft and prevents it from drying out quickly, allowing it to last longer [2]. Dried fruit and candied peel: Traditional panettone is often filled with dried fruit and candied orange or lemon peel.
Why does panettone taste weird? ›
It has a texture akin to sandwich bread, in that when you compress it between your fingers it can be molded into Play-Doh-esque forms. It's porous and slightly sour, a flavor it derives from the intense fermenting process it undergoes before it hits the oven. It is labor-intensive and prohibitively difficult to bake.
