Step 1

Combine yeast, water and sugar in a bowl. Cover and leave to stand for 10 minutes or until foamy.

Step 2

Add the eggs to the flour, mix to combine. Slowly add the liquid mixture until a manageable dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, adding a bit of flour if necessary, until the dough is soft and pliable but not sticky.

Step 3

Place dough in a large and lightly floured bowl. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 - 1.5 hours. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the dried fruits with rum.

Step 4

Once the dough has risen, tip onto a floured surface. Knead for a minute or so, then start to knead in the dried fruits until evenly distributed. Form the dough into a smooth ball, then divide into equal size of Line your pans/ molds with large panettone paper molds and place each small dough into a panettone casing. Cover loosely with cling film and leave to rise for 1 hour in a warm place until the dough rise above the pan. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 390F/ 200C.

Step 5

Place your mini panettone in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F/180C and bake for another 10 minutes. Reduce the heat again to 325F/160C and bake for 30 minutes until the tops are well browned and a skewer inserted into the panettone comes out clean. You may need to cover the top with foil after 20 minutes to prevent it browning too much.

Step 6

Brush some melted butter after removing the panettone from the oven. Then, cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar, if preferred.

Step 7

Enjoy!