Panettone

First attempt at Loretta Sebastiani recipe.

It took time and patience to do it, but the weather contributed a lot. It was and still is extremely cold, so the only thing you want to do is to stay warm inside, near the oven! I read Loretta's recipe 2-3 times before trying it. The steps were clear, the tips very helpful, nothing was missing.

I prepared my yeast on Friday evening and put it the oven not heated, without the light on. Just before going to bed, I checked it and it was rising nicely. However in the morning it was all flattened. I was going to throw it away and then I decided to go ahead with the next step and see if I could recover it. It worked perfectly.

I used a "Charlotte" mold, which I covered with wax paper. My husband is not a big fan of candied fruits and raisins, so I used only 1/3 cup of raisins that I soaked in orange blossom water.

You will find a lot of tips at Loretta's blog.

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons of instant dry yeast
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 yolk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1.4 ounces) assorted candied fruit
1/3 cup raisins
1 tablespoon orange blossom water to soak the raisins(or plain water or rum)
3/4 cup water

Mold: 7in diameter and 4in high

Directions
Step 1: the day before

1. Mix 1/3 cup of flour and 1 teaspoon of instant yeast.
2. Add 1/4 cup water and mix well. Dissolve all the lumps well with your fingers until a smooth dough. Cover and let rise all night. I store it in the oven.

Step 2: next morning-9am

1. The volume should have more than doubled. Don't worry if it has flattened.
2. Add 1/2 cup of flour and knead the dough for few minutes. If it's too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour.
3. Transfer the dough into a larger bowl.
4. Cover the bowl and let it rise. I put it in the oven with the light on for 4 hours. The light keeps the oven just warm enough to help the dough rise.
5. Take the butter out of the fridge.

Step 3: afternoon - 12pm

1. In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in 1/2 cup water. Let it simmer around 20 minutes on a low heat and reduce to obtain a light syrup. Let it cool.
2. Soak the raisins in warm liquid until soft (I put them in the microwave for 30 seconds).

Step 4: afternoon - 1pm

1. Beat the eggs and yolk and add the cooled syrup beating continuously.
2. Drain the raisins and flour them so they don't stick together. If you are using candied fruits, use the same technique.
3. Line the bottom and sides of your mold with buttered parchment paper.
4. Put remaining flour and the second teaspoon of yeast in the dough machine and mix well.
5. Add the dough prepared in step 1 and 2, and the butter. If the butter is not soft enough, microwave it for 10-20 seconds.
6. Turn the machine on.
7. Pour in the egg and syrup mixture.
8. Knead for 10-12 minutes.
9. Add the raisins and candied fruits and knead another 2 minutes.
10. The dough should be soft.
11. Transfer to the mold and let it rise. Again I put it in the oven with the light on. It should reach the edge of the mold.

Step 5: afternoon - 4pm

1. Pre-heat the oven at 400 degF.
2. Bake 30 minutes then lower the heat to 350 degF and bake another 10 minutes.
3. Let it cool, transfer to a plate and dust the surface with sifted icing sugar.