Sourdough Panettone
Panettone is the famous Christmas bread of Milan, though it is now made and consumed year round. Pandoro, or “golden bread,” originated in Verona and is traditionally baked in starshaped molds, but otherwise bears strong similarities to its more well-known Milanese counterpart. Although this dough can be mixed by hand, it’s very hard to do so because of the long mixing time required, so I recommend using a stand mixer. (You could also use a food processor if you pulse, rather than processing for extended periods.) At first, the dough will be more like a batter, but as you scrape down the mixing bowl, it will eventually form a very supple, delicate dough that feels wonderful to the touch. It can be formed into a ball or other bread shapes, but if you squeeze too hard it will become loose and sticky again. You may want to purchase paper or metal panettone or pandoro molds, which are available at specialty cookware stores. Keep in mind that smaller loaves bake more quickly and are softer and less crusty than larger loaves. Muffin and popover pans, as well as small brioche cups, make nice molds for mini loaves, as do small cans. You’ll end up with a better loaf if you let the dough rise slowly at room temperature rather than force the rise (for example, by placing the dough in a pilot-lit oven, which is a tempting way to speed up the rising time for many doughs). It may take up to 12 hours for the dough to rise and fill the form, but it’s worth the wait. Warmer proofing risks melting the butter in the dough, so the finished product will have the structure of a kugelhopf coffee cake—which isn’t bad, but it doesn’t have the unique peel-apart qualities of the slower-rising panettone or pandoro.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 large loaf or 2 or more small loaves
Ingredients
Sourdough starter
Dough
Preparation
Do ahead
Step 1
To make the starter, combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium speed for about 30 seconds. If mixing by hand, stir for about 2 minutes, until well blended. The starter should feel doughlike and tacky or slightly sticky; if not, stir in additional flour or water as needed.
Step 2
Transfer the starter to a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 30 seconds. Place the starter in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl loosely, and leave at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours, until the starter doubles in size or swells considerably. You can use it immediately or put it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Step 3
To make the dough, cut the starter into 10 to 12 pieces and put the pieces in a mixing bowl. Separately, stir the honey into the lukewarm water until dissolved, then whisk in the instant yeast until dissolved. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute, then pour it over the the starter and stir to soften the starter.
Step 4
Separately, whisk the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla together, then add to the starter mixture and stir until evenly incorporated.
Step 5
Add the flour and salt. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 2 minutes. If mixing by hand, stir with a large, sturdy spoon for about 2 minutes. The dough will be coarse, wet, and batterlike; although it will be soft and sticky, it should hold together. Use a wet bowl scraper or spatula to scrape the dough back down into the bowl, if necessary.
Step 6
Resume mixing on the lowest speed or by hand, gradually adding the sugar in 1/2-tablespoon increments; wait until each addition of sugar has been thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. The dough should now be smoother, though still very soft and sticky. Increase the mixer speed to medium-low or stir by hand more vigorously and mix for 5 minutes to develop the gluten, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle or spoon.
Step 7
Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed or continue mixing by hand, gradually adding the butter in 1-tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) increments; again, waiting until each addition is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next piece. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the hook or spoon as needed. If using a mixer, you can increase the speed to medium-high to incorporate the butter more quickly. It should take about 5 minutes to work in all of the butter, and at the end the dough should be shiny, soft, sticky if squeezed, and very supple, with a nice pillowlike feel to it when formed into a ball.
Step 8
Scrape the bowl down and mix on medium speed or by hand for 5 minutes more to fully develop the gluten; you should be able to pull out long, taffylike strands of dough.
Finishing the dough and shaping
Step 9
Add the dried fruit, then mix on the lowest speed with the dough hook, or by hand, for 1 or 2 minutes to evenly distribute the fruit. If the fruit was soaked overnight, drain off any excess liquid and fold the fruit in by hand. In this case, you may need to add about 3 1/2 tablespoons (1 oz / 28.5 g) of bread flour to compensate for the moisture in the fruit.
Step 10
Use a wet bowl scraper or spatula to transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, then dust the top of the dough with flour. Firm up the dough and form it into a smooth ball by stretching and folding it once, as shown on page 18.
Step 11
Weigh out the desired size of pieces, form them into balls, and place in oiled molds or pans. Depending on the type of bread you’re making, the dough will either double or triple in size as it rises. If using a full-size pandoro pan or panettone mold, you’ll need about 24 ounces (680 g) of dough, which will fill the mold one-third full. If using smaller molds, including popover molds, use however much dough is required to fill each mold one-third full.
Step 12
Let the panettone rise for 12 hours. You can also refrigerate the dough and bake it anytime during the next 4 days, but the rising time will be quite long, closer to 14 hours.
Baking
Step 13
About 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). For loaves weighing more than 1 1/2 pounds, preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
Step 14
The baking time will vary depending on the size of the panettone, ranging from 30 minutes for smaller shapes to 45 minutes or longer for large loaves. The panettone is done when it is a golden brown on all sides, when the loaf sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, and when the internal temperature is about 185°F (85°C) in the center. It should still feel slightly soft and tender if squeezed but will firm up as it cools.
Step 15
Cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before removing; if baked in paper panettone molds, it isn’t necessary to remove the paper. Large panettone should be cooled upside down on a wire rack, and any form of panettone should be cooled thoroughly before serving. Many bakers insist that panettone needs at least 8 to 14 hours of cooling, but 3 hours should be sufficient.
Variations
Step 16
If using dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries, you can simply add them to the dough as directed, or soak them overnight in rum, brandy, or liqueur, using 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) of liqueur for every 3 tablespoons (1 oz / 28.5 g) of fruit.
Step 17
You can also make your own soaking syrup by bringing 1/2 cup (4 oz / 113 g) of sugar and 1/2 cup (4 oz / 113 g) of water to a boil to make a simple syrup. When it cools, add 1 teaspoon (0.16 oz / 4.5 g) of orange or lemon extract, and 1 teaspoon (0.16 oz / 4.5 g) of vanilla and 1 teaspoon (0.16 oz / 4.5 g) of almond extract (optional). Add the fruit to the syrup and let it soak overnight. Another excellent option for flavoring the fruit is Fiori di Sicilia. This wonderfully aromatic and delicious essence that combines vanilla and citrus is available from King Arthur Flour and other suppliers of specialty ingredients.
Step 18
If you soak the fruit using either of these methods, strain off the the excess liquid, then fold the fruit into the dough by hand, along with about 3 1/2 tablespoons (1 oz / 28.5 g) of extra bread flour.
Step 19
You can decorate the top of the baked panettone with white fondant glaze (see page 144), or any other glaze that you like.
Step 20
This recipe makes exquisite brioche as well as holiday bread. For brioche, simply omit the fruit. (See below for instructions on shaping brioche à tête.) For an extra treat, top the brioche with streusel (see page 154) before baking. Another option is to use the dough as a tartlet shell and fill it with clafouti, a fruit-filled custard.
Making Brioche à Tête
Step 21
To shape brioche à tête, roll one end of a small ball of dough (typically 1 1/2 to 2 ounces or 42.5 to 56.5 grams) into a cylindrical cone. Poke a hole in the thick end, then slip the tip of the cone through it so that a nub of dough pokes through to make a “head.” Transfer the shaped dough to greased brioche molds.
