Panettone with Baker's Yeast

17/11/2023

I can provide you with a basic recipe for panettone with baker’s yeast. It will be a traditional recipe with an Italian touch, as is my custom. Here’s what you need and how to proceed:

Ingredients

500 g strong flour (suitable for leavened doughs)
150 g sugar
200 g softened butter
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
Grated zest of 1 untreated lemon
Grated zest of 1 untreated orange
200 g sultana raisins
100 g mixed candied fruit (orange, citron, etc.)
100 ml lukewarm milk
25 g fresh baker’s yeast
A pinch of salt
Vanillin or vanilla extract, to taste
Alcohol (rum or grappa), to soften the raisins

Preparation

Start by soaking the raisins in alcohol to soften and flavor them.
Dissolve the baker’s yeast in the lukewarm milk with a small amount of sugar taken from the total and a spoonful of flour taken from the total; let it activate for a few minutes.
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, a pinch of salt, and the vanillin. Make a well in the center and add the activated yeast, the eggs and yolks, the softened butter, and the grated lemon and orange zests.
Knead vigorously until you have a homogeneous and rather sticky dough. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook or work by hand on a floured surface.
Incorporate the well-drained raisins and candied fruit into your dough. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place away from drafts for about 3 hours or until the dough has doubled in volume.
After rising, knead again to deflate and transfer the mixture into a buttered and floured panettone mold.
Let it rise a second time inside the mold, for about 1 hour or until the dough almost reaches the rim of the mold.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 40 minutes or until the surface of the panettone is golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool completely before serving.

Remember to check the panettone regularly during baking, as the time may vary depending on your oven.

Have fun in the kitchen and enjoy!