Babes Bake for the Holidays

 

Around the holidays, I enjoy eating panettone, which is the only time of year I can find it.  What if I want some at another time?  Or, I want to select different ingredients?  Or, eIiminate additives or preservatives?  I searched for possible recipes so I could bake my own whenever I chose.  I came across this recipe from King ArthurBaking Company, checked out the comment section, then proceeded to bake my version.  The biggest complaint was that it was dry, but I solved that problem by soaking the dried fruit ahead of time.  The first time I made this bread, I soaked the fruit in boiling water before adding it to the dough. This time, I did an overnight soak, then, drained the fruit before adding it.  Both times I had a nice, moist bread, so I believe that’s the key.  While I used the specified fruits for this loaf, I would like to play around with other ingredients, specifically finely chopped chocolate, perhaps, with some dried sour cherries.  The combinations are many.  I suppose one could even omit the fruit, maybe add chopped nuts?

A few tips:

If you’re not using the traditional panettone papers, I would recommend lining the pan with a piece of parchment; certainly, for the bottom and possibly for the sides.  (That’s my next iteration.)

You can also choose to make individual panettones, baking them in muffin tins or individual papers, using about 3 ounces of dough in each cup.  The baking time would probably change as well for the small ones.

Leftover slices freeze well.  I also have a recipe for a simple bread pudding, using only three ingredients (panettone, eggnog, and, eggs), well worth having leftovers.

If you own Peter Reinhart’s, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, you can find his version of panettone using a wild-yeast sponge, as well as helpful guidelines. It’s a little more complex than this recipe, but still good.

 

 

 

Overnight Panettone

This traditional Italian holiday bread will stay fresh longer when it's made with an overnight starter.

Prep: 20 mins

Bake: 45 mins

Total: 13 hrs 20 mins

Yield: 1 large loaf

 

Bake in 2 quart sauce pan

Ingredients

Starter

• 3/4 cup (90g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/16 teaspoon (just a pinch) instant yeast
• 1/3 cup (74g) cool water

Dough

• all of the starter (above)
• 2 1/4 cups (270g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup (57g) lukewarm water
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons (57g) butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia flavoring OR 1 teaspoon vanilla + 1/8 teaspoon orange oil
• 2 1/4 teaspoons SAF Gold instant yeast or 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) salt
• 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (85g) golden raisins
• 1/2 cup (64g) slivered dried apricots
• 1/2 cup (85g) dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup (71g) chopped dried pineapple
• 2 tablespoons (28g) orange zest (grated rind) or lemon zest (grated rind)

Instructions

1.      To make the starter: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine the starter ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl, cover, and allow them to rest overnight (8 to 12 hours).

2.      To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients except the fruit and zest, and mix and knead them together — by hand, mixer or bread machine — until you've made a soft, smooth dough.

3.      Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it's puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk).

4.      Gently deflate the dough, and knead in the fruits and zest. (Soak fruits in hot/boiling water to soften. Drain before adding them)

5.      Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a panettone pan or other straight-sided, tall 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan. Cover the pan and let the dough rise until it's just crested over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour.  (Helpful to line the pan.)

6.      Bake the bread in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 minutes; reduce the oven heat to 375°F and bake an additional 10 minutes; then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil if the crust appears to be browning too quickly. Panettone should be a deep brown when done, should sound hollow when tapped, and will read 190°F at the center using a digital thermometer. (It's easy to underbake, since it browns so quickly!)

7.      Remove the panettone from the oven and cool completely. Store at room temperature, well-wrapped, for up to a week; freeze for longer storage.

This month, I am the lucky baker who is Kitchen of the Month for the Bread Baking Babes.  I’m excited to see what version each baker chose, so be sure to visit their websites.

 

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly  
• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna 
• Bread Experience – Cathy                                           
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups – Tanna  
• Feeding My Enthusiasms – Elle