Baking & Desserts

How To Make Traditional Panettone At Home

The secret to homemade Panettone that is naturally leavened with a sourdough starter has arrived. I wanted to show you guys how to make a traditional (ish) panettone that's way better than what you can buy at the store. And when I say traditional, I really mean traditional (with a couple twists).

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Prep
2.5 to 3 days (includes dough resting & proofing and candying citrus)
Cook
35–50 minutes
Total
3 days
Serves
16
people
How To Make Traditional Panettone At Home
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Ingredients

Stiff Levain 4hr Feedings: 2 to 3 feedings 

  • 24g mature sourdough starter
  • 24g all purpose flour
  • 12g water, 85℉

Stiff Levain Overnight Feeding:

  • 12g mature starter
  • 24g all purpose flour
  • 12g water, 85℉

First Dough:

  • ⅛ tsp (.5g) active yeast (optional but the process will be a little slower and have a touch less bloom)
  • 350g bread flour
  • 1 tsp (6g) diastatic malt powder
  • 83g granulated sugar
  • 200ml or (203g) water, 85℉
  • 3 large egg yolks (53g)
  • 57g stiff levain
  • 83g unsalted butter, softened

Candied Citrus:

  • 3 large navel oranges, peel only 
  • 4 large lemons, peel only 
  • 2 cups (450g) granulated sugar
  • 2 cups (473g) water

Final Dough:

  • 168g bread flour
  • Zest of half an orange
  • 1 vanilla bean pod of seeds
  • 6g fine sea salt
  • 2 egg yolks (36g)
  • 55g water, 85℉
  • 82g granulated sugar
  • 130g unsalted butter, softened
  • 16g honey
  • 78g raisins
  • 120g candied orange peel
  • 55g candied lemon peel
  • 63g raw pistachios

Glaze:

  • 6g almond flour
  • 4g corn flour
  • 4g cocoa powder
  • 5g sunflower oil
  • 80g granulated sugar
  • 30g egg whites
  • Swedish pearl sugar for sprinkling on top after glazing

Directions

  1. Start with 24 grams of mature 100% hydration sourdough starter in a glass/plastic jar. To that, add in 24 grams of flour, water warmed to 85℉. Stir until thoroughly combined. Put the lid on and place it in a warm, ambient environment around 85℉
  2. To feed your starter, add the same exact amount that you fed in the beginning. Feed it every 4 hours for at least 2 - 3 feedings. If you need to let your starter sit for 12 hours overnight; reduce your mature starter from 24 grams to 12 grams and leave out at room temperature.
  3. Take 50 ml of water and warm it to 90℉. Dissolve an ⅛ of a teaspoon of instant yeast.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer; add in your bread flour, diastatic malt powder and granulated sugar. Whisk together until thoroughly incorporated.
  5. Turn on your mixer to low-speed and then add in your bloomed yeast mixture, 3 egg yolks and the sweet levan you made earlier. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure there are no dry bits of clumped flour.
  6. Once your dough has come together; with your mixer on low speed, add in unsalted butter 1 tablespoon at a time until all is used. Then, just mix together completely.
  7. Cover your dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for 12 hours at room temperature.
  8. For the final dough, make your candied lemon and orange peels.
  9. Start by cutting on the ends of an orange with your knife, and cut along the perimeter to obtain the peel. Repeat this process with 3 large navel oranges. Cut all of your peels into ¼” strips
  10. Repeat this process with 4 large lemons.
  11. Place your orange peels in a pot with enough water to just cover them. Bring it up to a boil, and as soon as it boils remove it from the heat. Strain through a mesh strainer and lightly rinse them off with cold water. Repeat this process once more.
  12. After the second time, add 2 cups of granulated sugar and 2 cups of filtered water to a pot and bring up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let sit for 25-30 minutes or until they’re tender and the liquid is slightly reduced.
  13. Repeat steps 11-12 for the lemon peels.
  14. Once it’s been 12 hours and the dough has tripled in size, transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in your bread flour, zest from ½ an orange, one vanilla bean pod, fine sea salt and 2 large egg yolks.
  15. With your mixer on low speed, slowly pour in 55 grams of water heated to 85℉. Make sure to reserve 10 grams to be used later. Continue mixing at medium-low speed for 1-2 minutes.
  16. Then with your mixer at medium speed, add in 82 grams of sugar in batches. Now, with your mixer at low speed, add in 130 grams of butter a little bit at a time. Mix dough at medium-low speed for 5 minutes, or until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
  17. Next, with your mixer at low speed, add in raisins, candied orange and lemon peels which have been roughly chopped, and crushed pistachios. Allow to mix evenly.
  18. Pour dough out onto an un-floured work surface. Pick up the dough, place the bottom piece and smack it back down on the board, folding it over itself. Continue this process until it starts to hold itself together and doesn’t feel as sticky.
  19. Once the dough has a smooth surface; place it in a bowl, cover with a damp towel and let it rest for one hour. Half way through at the 30 minute mark, perform one set of stretching and folding. Grab one end of the dough, stretch it and fold it over itself. Repeat all the way around. Cover and let it rest for the remaining time.
  20. Scrape your dough out onto an un-floured work surface. Be sure to weigh your dough according to the size of mold you have.
  • 500g of dough for a 5-inch mold.
  • 700g of dough for a 6-inch mold.
  • 850g of dough for a 7-inch mold.
  1. Spraying your bench scraper intermittently, use it to push the dough up under itself and rotate it. Continue this until you get a nice taut ball. Transfer your dough into your panettone molds and let proof in an 85 degrees Fahrenheit environment, for 4-6 hours.
  2. Create your glaze by combining almond flour, corn flour, cocoa powder, sunflower oil, sugar and egg whites in a bowl. Mix together and place in a piping bag.
  3. Preheat your oven to 350℉ and pipe your glaze over your dough. Place them in the oven and let them back for 35 - 50 minutes or until their internal temperature is 185℉
  4. Once they’re done baking, take 12”  skewers and skewer the bottoms of your loaves at two points. Make sure to skewer them evenly so they don’t hang at an angle.
  5. Hang your loaves upside down and let cool for 12 hours.

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