You know it’s the Christmas season when panettone sits at the end of the grocery aisles. But the fruit-studded bread with a high dome and airy crumb deserves much more than those dry versions. By the slice, this Italian staple is especially good with an after-dinner espresso. Any leftovers make exceptional French toast or bread pudding.
Here’s the lowdown on the festive bread, plus a panettone recipe to make your own version. You’ll never go back to boxed bread again.
What is panettone?
Pronounced “pan-eh-toh-neh,” the Italian sweet bread is no fruit cake. Light and puffy, slightly sweet and buttery, filled with fruit and sometimes nuts, the Italian staple is festive and delicious—and it can be served for dessert or breakfast.
Panettone origins can be traced back to the Roman Empire, but Milan is the birthplace of the more modern, boxed variety we see today. In the early 20th century, Italian bakers started making the breads for wider market appeal, packing them in colorful boxes with ribbons for easy gifting. And while boxed panettone makes a nice food gift, homemade panettone is even better.
Panettone starts with a soft, brioche-like dough that needs to proof overnight. Baked in a paper liner or mold, the finished bread is easy to wrap and tie with a ribbon for a gift. Other than that, you can add in whatever dried or candied fruits you like to make it your own. The trick to getting the classic shape is to hang the bread upside down to cool.
Is panettone a cake or bread?
Panettone is more bread than cake but is easily mistaken for the latter. We blame fruitcake. Dotted with raisins, candied citrus and sometimes nuts, many think panettone is similar to the rich, dense, heavily spiced Christmas dessert. Instead, panettone bread is light and airy with a high dome, crispy top and fluffy interior.
Panettone Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Quick-rise yeast
- Warm water
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Eggs
- Butter
- Raisins
- Golden raisins
- Candied orange peel
Topping:
- Egg
- Water
- Sliced almonds
- Coarse sugar
Directions
Step 1: Make a sponge
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, the yeast and warm water. Cover the bowl and let the yeast mixture stand until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Make the dough
In the bowl with the sponge, gradually beat in the remaining 4 cups of flour, plus the sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat in the eggs until blended. Switch to the dough hook on your mixer, and mix on medium speed until a smooth stiff dough forms, about two to three minutes. Beat in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat the dough on medium speed for another 5 minutes, then stir in the raisins and orange peel.
Step 3: Give the dough a rest
Gently transfer the dough to a greased bowl (it will be sticky) and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough overnight.
Test Kitchen Tip: With a longer rise in the fridge, the yeast gets more time to do its work. The fermentation process happens more slowly, which adds flavor and flexibility to the dough. It helps with shaping the dough the next day, and makes it taste delicious.
Step 4: Shape the dough
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a ball. Place the ball in a 7-inch wide x 4-inch tall paper panettone mold. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until it’s almost doubled, about 90 minutes.
Test Kitchen Tip: If you forgot to order the paper molds, you can also use a 10-inch cake pan with high sides, or even a 9-inch tube pan. But make sure to use parchment rounds in the bottoms.
Step 5: Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly beat the egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Gently brush the egg over the dough and sprinkle with almonds and coarse sugar. Bake the panettone bread until it turns a golden brown, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. To prevent the bread from getting too brown, cover the bread with foil after about 30 minutes or halfway through.
Test Kitchen Tip: To test the bread for doneness, first check the look. It should be deep brown but not burnt. Then sound: Tap the bread; you’re looking for a hollow sound. You can also check the temperature. A finished bread will read around 190° when a digital thermometer is inserted in the middle.
Step 6: Cool
Insert a metal or wood skewer horizontally through the center of the loaf. Allow the bread to cool, upside down, by resting the ends of the skewer on the tops of two large heavy cans.
Test Kitchen Tip: Panettone is cooled upside down to keep the fluffy bread from collapsing. It helps retain the texture and crumb that makes panettone so special.
Panettone Variations
Panettone can be flavored according to your own personal preference. Add more candied citrus or less, swap in lemon for orange or vice versa, or add both. Chocolate chips are a delicious addition. Raisins or even currants can be amped up or eliminated.
How do you store and freeze panettone?
Once the panettone is completely cooled, you can wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and keep it in a resealable bag. It will last up to five days on the counter, but it will start to dry out before that. Panettone can be frozen, as well. Wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap and then foil and store in the freezer for up to two months.
Panettone Tips
How do you slice and serve panettone?
Because it’s slightly sweet and studded with fruit, panettone bread is fantastic for dessert or breakfast. The traditional way is to cut it into wedges (you can even cut it with the paper on!, but you can also go for slices that could fit into a toaster. Slather with butter or not; some people eat it with a dollop of mascarpone.
What can you do with leftover panettone?
This panettone recipe is so good, there’s little chance any will be leftover. But if there is, like many brioche breads, it makes the best French toast or bread pudding, including this Black Forest panettone bread pudding.
