Panettone Milanese · Panettone
Lombardy · dolce · serves 12 · 2880 min total · hard
Milan's Christmas bread — legend has Toni, a baker's apprentice, inventing it from the scraps. 'Pan de Toni' became panettone. The 36-hour fermentation is sacred.
Ingredients
- 500 g strong '00' flour (W≥360)
- 150 g sugar
- 200 g butter, softened
- 6 yolks egg yolks
- 150 g active stiff sourdough (lievito madre)
- 150 ml water
- 200 g sultanas, soaked
- 100 g candied orange peel
- 80 g candied citron
- 1 pod vanilla pod
- 2 tbsp acacia honey
- 1 tsp salt
Method
- First dough (impasto serale): combine sourdough, 250 g flour, 60 g sugar, water, 3 yolks. Knead 15 minutes. Add 100 g butter in pieces, knead in. Rise 12 hours at 28°C until tripled.
- Second dough: add remaining flour, sugar, yolks, vanilla, honey, salt. Knead 20 minutes — the dough must be elastic and glossy.
- Add remaining butter slowly. Then fold in soaked raisins and candied peels.
- Shape into a ball, place in panettone paper mould (750 g size). Rise 6–8 hours at 28°C until reaching the top of the mould.
- Score the top with a cross, place a knob of butter in the centre.
- Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 45–55 minutes — internal temperature should reach 94°C.
- Skewer the base with two long needles and hang upside down to cool 8 hours — this prevents collapse.
- Best after 3 days. Keeps weeks if sealed.