KBB#26: panettone

hello everyone, it feels great to be back from my unofficial hiatus last month. let's start this month with last month's KBB challenge. we were expected to make a traditional italian christmas bread. yay! panettone! feel so satisfied making this bread. it is surprisingly good for my taste because usually i didn't like fruit cake or raisin bread but this one is an exception.

at first, i really wanted to excuse my self from joining this panettone challenge. but deep inside my heart i still wanted to make it so much. so until the day before the last day (yeah it sounds confusing..) of November, i decided to make this beautiful panettone by skipping my Wednesday class. hahaha. i did it for the sake of panettone! i made it half a day and i wouldn't be able to do it if i didn't skip class. i hope nobody would punish me for this ;)

fortunately, the result is soo great.. that is why i feel so satisfied with it, at least my sacrifice for skipping class was worth it. i heard some of other's panettone didn't rise in the oven or even when it was being proofed because this bread is not the usual kind of white bread, this is called the rich bread dough which contains so many fat in it. let me share my experience below.. promise you that today i will give you more details on the directions. i didn't think my bread would rise as well when i proofed it, but suddenly when i baked them, they were like poof rising to the top and cracked on the center. they were so beautiful i can't even believe my self made it. so, any of you tempted to make it, let's wait no more and read the recipe below.. :D

Panettone
originally from The Worldwide Gourmet
serves 8 (in baba moulds)

1 package active dry yeast (11 gr)
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp warm water
6 egg yolks
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
2-3 cups flour
6 tbsp candied peel
100 gr + 2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp sultanas
4 tbsp currants
1 tsp vanilla extract

my modification (which i am sure is richer and tastier :p), cut down to half:

1/2 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp warm milk
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 1 mandarin orange, reserve the juice for soaking dried fruits
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup bread flour (high protein flour)
1/4 cup pastry flour (low protein flour)

50 gr butter

3 tbsp chopped dried apricots
2 tbsp chopped dried sultanas
2 tbsp chopped dried cranberries
sliced almonds for garnish
2 tsp icing sugar (garnish)
1 tsp cinnamon powder (garnish)

directions:

1. soak all the dried fruits in the reserved orange juice, set aside. warm the milk just until slightly warmer than the body temperature, pour into a medium size mixing bowl, stir in 1 tbsp of sugar, sprinkle dry yeast on the warm milk. let sit for about 1 minute without stirring. after all the yeast are rehydrated, stir evenly and let sit for 5-10 minutes or until it doubles in size and foamy.
2. add in the remaining sugar, splash of vanilla extract, orange zest, cinnamon powder, egg yolks, and salt. mix with wooden spoon until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. gradually add the flour in third, mix evenly until each addition (please note that not all the flour we prepared probably will be used, it may remain or even needed to be added more). the flour is enough used when the dough can easily come together into a ball. knead vigorously with wooden spoon or with your hands until it becomes smoother and starts to be elastic.
3. gradually add butter in third, knead evenly after each addition. until the dough becomes even smoother and more elastic.
4. add more flour (pastry flour is better to prevent the dough to be tougher than it should), until  dough is firm and silky but not sticky anymore. knead again until dough is smooth and shiny, for approximately 10 minutes (it will not be as elastic as a white bread and it doesn't need to pass the gluten window test).
5. grease another mixing bowl with butter and lightly dust with flour. round the dough and put it in the greased bowl, cover with wet towel or cling wrap. let sit until doubled in volume, approximately 1-2 hours, in a warm place. dough may not completely rise, but you can tell it rise when you can smell fermented yeast when opening the towel/wrap. surface will not be as shiny and it will spring back when you touch it.
6. drain the orange juice from the dried fruits, add the fruits into the dough and gently knead until all fruits has evenly incorporated. do not over knead or it will lose its elasticity.
7. divide mixture evenly into four, place on each buttered mould. cover with cling wrap or kitchen towel.
8. preheat oven to 200 degree C or 400 degree F. place the mould around the oven, so that the warmth of the oven preheating stimulates the dough for second proofing.
9. when oven has reached the temperature, uncover mould, brush the dough with some melted butter, topped with few sliced almonds and bake it in 200 degree C for 10 minutes. it should has risen by 10 minutes. turn down the heat to 160 degree C, use a double tray to prevent the bottom from browning too fast. brush the bread again with melted butter and bake again for another 30-40 minutes, until the surface are golden brown and crisp.
10. remove from the oven. let the bread cool down in the mould for 15 minutes, unmould then topped with icing sugar + cinnamon powder mixture.

fuuuh.. what a really long recipe!
i hope it could help you all making this panettone.. :)
thanks for reading!
have a good day!