1. Recipes

How to Make Chef John's Panettone - A Step-by-Step Guide

Chef John's Panettone is a classic Italian sweet bread that is traditionally enjoyed during the holiday season. Made with rich, buttery dough and studded with candied fruits and nuts, this indulgent treat is a labor of love that is well worth the effort. Chef John's recipe stays true to the authentic flavors and textures of this beloved Italian specialty, resulting in a panettone that is light, fluffy, and bursting with flavor.

This recipe may seem intimidating at first glance, but wi...

Read more Snack recipes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cold water
  • ¼ cup sourdough starter
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • ½ cup dried cherries, quartered
  • ½ cup diced dried pineapple
  • ¼ cup rum
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons fine salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon water

Information

  • Prep Time: 45 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Additional Time: 1 day
  • Total Time: 1 day 1 hr 25 mins
  • Servings: 12
  • Yield: 1 (7-inch) panettone

  • The day before baking, mix flour, cold water, and sourdough starter together in a bowl. Cover and leave out at room temperature, 8 hours to overnight.
  • At the same time, combine raisins, cherries, and pineapple in a separate bowl. Stir in rum. Let fruit soak, tossing occasionally, 8 hours to overnight.
  • Pour warm water into large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add yeast and let dissolve for 10 minutes. Add eggs, 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, vanilla extract, orange zest, and lemon zest. Whisk together. Scoop in the panettone starter. Add flour and salt.
  • Knead until dough is very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides if needed. Add butter; knead until butter is completely mixed in and dough is soft and somewhat sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer to your work surface.
  • Toss and fold your dough into a rough ball shape using wet fingers and a bench scraper. Transfer dough back to the bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.
  • Transfer dough back to your work surface and shape into a rough ball. Place into a resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
  • Remove dough from the bag and press out into a flat rectangle. Sprinkle with flour and roll out to at least 1/2-inch thickness. Spread the dried fruit all over the surface. Roll dough up into a log, sealing in the fruit. Roll both ends of the log toward the middle and smooth it over into a ball.
  • Place dough ball into a short, wide paper panettone mold. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until dough is at least 2/3 of the way up the sides, 3 to 4 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Mix egg and water together and brush mixture on top of the panettone. Cut 2 slits crosswise on top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until beautifully browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Poke 2 skewers through either side of the panettone and flip it over into a panettone hole or a Dutch oven. Let cool upside-down for 2 hours.
  • Pull out the skewers and slice into pieces.

    • Nutrition

    290 cal.

    • Total Fat: 8g
    • Saturated Fat: 4g
    • Cholesterol: 62mg
    • Sodium: 306mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 47g
    • Dietary Fiber: 2g
    • Total Sugars: 14g
    • Protein: 6g
    • Vitamin C: 2mg
    • Calcium: 30mg
    • Iron: 2mg
    • Potassium: 123mg

    Categories

    Traditional recipes
    Sweet bread recipes
    Italian recipes
    Christmas recipes
    Dessert recipes