Panettone is an aromatic, dome-shaped yeast cake from Milan that resembles Christmas stollen. It is traditionally baked and consumed throughout Italy at Christmas time, as well as on New Year’s Eve and Easter. In Germany, too, the fruitcake is becoming increasingly popular. With our recipe you can easily bake the Panettone yourself. The pastry is a delight at any time of year!
Origin of the Panettone
Around the origin of the Panettone entwine numerous stories. According to one, the recipe comes from an apprentice baker named Antonio, who wanted to impress his beloved with a sweet bread made with butter, eggs, flour, milk, raisins and candied fruit. Thus, the “pane de Toni” soon became famous throughout Milan.
Panettone: calories and nutritional values
100 grams of panettone contain about 330 kiloalories (kcal) and include about ten to 20 grams of fat, 60 grams of carbohydrates and seven grams of protein. Admittedly, this Italian cake specialty is not exactly one of the low-calorie foods. But compared to other sweet Christmas treats, the calorie balance of Panettone is quite respectable. 100 grams of Christmas stollen, for example, contain around 50 kilocalories more and vanilla crescents prove to be an even bigger calorie bomb with 500 kilocalories per 100 grams. Every now and then, indulgent snacking may also be allowed once in a while.
Traditional preparation
The traditional preparation of panettone usually takes several days. According to the original recipe, it is made with a wheat sourdough and enriched with dried and fermented fruits. Since the dough is not baked all the way through, the cake stays nice and moist and airy. Nowadays, instead of the original ingredients, baker’s yeast and candied fruits such as candied orange peel and candied lemon peel are mostly used.
Make panettone yourself: A delicious recipe
Panettoni are nowadays mainly industrially manufactured and offered in all possible variations – whether with chocolate, as a savory variant or in muffin form. But there is nothing like a homemade panettone. It is true that its preparation is a test of patience for any amateur baker. But with this panettone recipe, you’re guaranteed to succeed! Ingredients for eight servings:
- 250 ml milk
- 100 g butter
- 500 g flour (type 405)
- 30 g yeast
- 100 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolk
- 1 pinch of salt
- 40 g each candied orange peel and candied lemon peel
- 80 g raisins
- Some butter for the baking dish and for brushing
Preparation of a panettone
Heat the milk with the butter in a saucepan so that the butter melts. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and mix with the sugar and pinch of salt. Make a well in the center and crumble the yeast into it. Pour the milk–butter mixture slowly and add two egg yolks and the whole egg. Now mix the ingredients with the dough hook of the hand mixer to a smooth dough. Cover the yeast dough, for example with cling film or a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes until it has approximately doubled in volume. Then knead the dough again and stir in the candied lemon peel, candied orange peel and raisins. Depending on your preference, you could also replace the candied fruit with almonds, pistachios or chocolate pieces and additionally season the dough with the grated zest of an untreated lemon or orange. Shape the dough into a ball on a floured work surface and place it in a well-greased panettone baking dish. If you don’t have a special mold on hand, you can also use a regular springform pan or an earthenware flowerpot lined with baking paper. Let the dough rise in the mold again covered in a warm place for at least 30 minutes.
Bake and serve the panettone
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 degrees top and bottom heat. Slightly cut the surface of the dough once crosswise and brush with a little melted butter. Bake the fruit cake at 180 degrees on the second rack from the bottom for about 60 minutes. To protect the surface of the cake from burning, you can cover it with aluminum foil after two-thirds of the baking time. Let the panettone cool well before removing it from the pan. To serve, you can cut the panettone into vertical slices.Traditionally, it is accompanied by warm sweet drinks or a sweet wine.
