Easy Panettone Recipe (Italian Christmas Bread)

Step 1

Mix yeast into flour, add to water, and mix until smooth.

Step 2

Cover and place in fridge until double in size or overnight.

Step 3

In a bowl, combine 12 ounces of flour with salt. Set aside.

Step 4

In your stand mixer, cream the softened butter and honey.

Step 5

Slowly add eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Mix until almost combined, the eggs and butter wont fully incorprate at this stage.

Step 6

Add sponge to the egg/butter mix. The dough will look broken, mix until it uniform in texture, then add flour, mix until it all comes together, about 3 minutes. Switch to your dough hook.

Step 7

Add the fruits and zest into the dough and mix with dough hook on low for 8 minutes to develop gluten.

Step 8

Cover the bowl and let dough rise for 30 minutes at room temp. If you need more time place dough in the fridge to ferment slower.

Step 9

If you are using the mini panettone papers portion your dough into about 3 oz balls and place into papers. This should make approximately 25 mini pannetone. You can also use larger papers or loaf pans.

Step 10

Cover lightly and let proof in the papers for about 30 min, if your dough is cold from fermenting in the fridge, this could take longer.

Step 11

Brush the tops of the doughs with an egg wash (mixed egg/yolk and a pinch of salt). On a sheet pan evenly spaced, place panettone into a 375* oven for approximately 25 minutes. This time will vary on the size of bread you are baking. The bread is done with it is nicely browned on top and has an internal temp of about 200* when a probe thermometer is inserted into the middle.

Step 12

Let breads cool, but can be enjoyed warm.