The best way to make panettone

The panettone or sweet bread is a traditional dessert of the Christmas season, which is characterized by its sweet taste and fluffy texture. In fact, it has already become a tradition to accompany the table during the Christmas holidays.

Usually, we can buy this bread in any bakery or supermarket, but it is an even more pleasant recipe to prepare this recipe as a family. Therefore, below we will explain how to make this recipe in a simple way.

Panettone ingredients

• 600 grams of wheat flour.

• 6 grams of salt.

• 120 grams of white sugar.

• 145 cc of warm milk.

• 10 grams of dry yeast, or 30 of fresh yeast.

• 30 grams of honey.

• Three eggs.

• The zest of a lemon.

• A spoonful of vanilla essence.

• 12 ml of orange blossom water.

• 30 cc of rum or cognac.

• 145 grams of butter or shortening at room temperature.

• The amount you need of vegetable oil and wheat flour.

• Required amount of raisins.

• 200 grams of glazed fruits, nuts, raisins or chocolate chips.

Steps for making panettone

Note: Because this recipe is a bit long, we will divide it into several phases.

1. Let the raisins soak overnight in the liquor of your choice.

Preparation of the mixture

1. Sift the wheat flour that you will use and let the flour fall into a large bowl. Next, add the salt and sugar to sift them equally. Reserve the bowl with the sifted items.

2. Pour the milk into a bowl and add the yeast, either dry or fresh. Beat well with a steel whisk and while you do it, add the honey and continue beating.

3. Break the eggs and drop the contents into the bowl and continue beating.

4. Once the previous ingredients have been well integrated, add the lemon zest, a tablespoon of vanilla essence and the orange blossom water, and continue mixing to integrate them well.

5. Strain the raisins that you should have soaked overnight and reserve the liquid to add to the mixture in the bowl.

6. Take the bowl with the sifted dry ingredients and cut a hole in the center to pour the liquid ingredients.

Knead the mixture

1. Put your hands in the liquid ingredients and start beating from the center to integrate the flour. Don't worry, at first the dough is very wet, but while you work it will soften.

2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and work there, tapping it against the table 20 times to smooth it out.

3. Add the lard or butter and continue kneading vigorously, giving 200 strokes against the table. Help yourself with a trowel to collect the mixture and gather it, in order to make the process easier for you.

4. Grease your hands with oil and also grease the surface where you work the dough and make circular movements, so that the dough looks like a bun.

5. Put the dough in a container greased with oil and cover transparent plastic wrap. Keep in mind that the paper should be in contact with the dough.

6. Take to the refrigerator and let it rest for about 12 hours.

Roll out the dough and assemble the panettones

1. After the last time, divide the dough and roll out with a rolling pin on a previously floured surface.

2. Add whatever you like to the stretched dough, be it polished fruit or chocolate chips.

3. Roll the dough carefully so that the filling is inside it. Close the edges and divide the roll into slices.

4. Start placing one roll on top of the other, but alternating the directions of where they look at the fruits and squash them. We incorporate the fruit or chocolate chips that fall into the dough.

5. Roll the mixture into a ball and begin to knead.

6. Roll the dough into a bun or ball. For this, you can flour the surface and make enveloping circular movements with the dough. Ideally, the fruit should be hidden under the dough.

7. Place the dough in the molds. You can use pilotines or not, as you like.

Cooking the panettones

1. Cover the panettones in the molds with a clean, dry kitchen towel, and put them in the refrigerator for 12 more hours.

2. After the aforementioned time, remove the panettones from the refrigerator, brush with egg whites and place in a preheated oven at 150ºC.

3. Let them bake for 35 to 40 minutes with heat up and down.

4. You will know that your breads are ready when you poke them with a toothpick, and it comes out clean and dry.

5. Remove the panettones from the oven and if you like, remove from the molds and decorate with icing if you like.

Recommendations and tips for a perfect panettone

• It is best to use the most refined flour you can find for this recipe, but it should not contain leavening or prepared.

• It is very important that you soak raisins overnight before making the recipe, to use them later. You can soak them in rum, mistela or cognac, as you like.

• Have an additional bowl ready with a little flour, the amount you consider necessary for you to add at the time of kneading.

• You should also keep a little oil in a bowl to use if you consider necessary.

• If you like, you can also let the panettones rest at room temperature for 11 or 12 hours as you like.

The panettone or sweet bread with strawberries is an ideal dessert to share or give away during the Christmas holidays. This is present in the Christmas gastronomy of many countries, thanks to its delicious and unique flavor.

Therefore, if you are one of those who usually buy this bread in December, we encourage you to try to make this recipe at home and make your own version. This can be a very fun new Christmas family tradition.

Also, we urge you to share this recipe on your social networks with all your friends who love pastry.