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DR. EVIL'S FAMOUS PANETTONE    

Biga (Starter)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup warm water
½ tsp. instant or dehydrated yeast

Dough
3 lg. eggs
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into smallish pieces and brought to room temperature
3 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
5 tsp. instant or dehydrated yeast
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. lemon oil (extract)

¾ cup diced (to 3/8” pieces) dried apricots
¾ cup golden raisins
4 ½ oz. Grand Marnier
1 ½ oz. dark Rum
3 oz water
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

The Biga
Combine the flour, water and yeast, kneading (or stirring) briefly to mix. Place the dough in a bowl and let rise overnight at room temperature.

The Dried Fruit
Place all diced fruit in a small bowl. Mix Grand Marnier, Rum, water, and 2 Tbsp. sugar until sugar is dissolved. Pour onto fruit to marinade. Cover and let set overnight at room temperature. Other dried fruit can be used: ie. Pineapple, dates, dark raisins, peaches, etc. Dried pineapple may be a bit too sweet, although marinating will likely leach out some of the sugar.

The Dough
Mix flour, salt and yeast. Transfer fruit and marinade to a sieve and let drain into small bowl. When completely drained, transfer marinade to large mixing bowl. Crack eggs into same bowl. Mix. Add vanilla, lemon oil, sugar, and butter and mix. Work in flour with wooden paddle. Knead the dough until well mixed. Make into a ball and place into fairly large lightly greased bowl to rise for 1 hour. Dough will be sticky.

Knead the drained fruit into the raised dough just enough to distribute evenly – no more. Shape into a ball again, place into baking pan*, cover and let rise for 2 more hours or so in a warm place. (I heat up the oven to about 135 degrees, place the panettone on a rack below center in oven, and turn off the oven.) Remove from oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the panettone for 45 minutes, tenting it with aluminum foil for the final 15 minutes of baking if it appears to be browning too quickly. The internal temperature should be 190 to 205 degrees when done. Remove the panettone from the oven, turn it out on to a cooling rack, cover until it comes to a bit warmer than room temperature. Wrap with plastic wrap so as not to dry out.

* I use a 9-inch Springform pan. Cut 8-inch wide pieces of parchment to wall-up the sides of the pan, since the panettone will rise up pretty high as it bakes.

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Panettone is a traditional Italian Christmas bread. Chestnuts (real ones, not the “water” variety) are often used and appear to be marinated similar as in this recipe. Just before placing into the oven a cross is often cut into the top of the panettone and a chunk of butter is placed in the center.

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