How to make Panettone

Panettone is a sweet fruit bread

usually associated with Milan Italy. Panettone is continually evolving with new ingredients being added all the time. One of the new ingredients is chocolate. If your trying this for the first time I wouldn't suggest chocolate because it covers all the traditional flavors of the panetone. This lightly sweetened and spiced fruit bread is traditionally used in Italy for Christmas
or New years.

Looks yummie

Don't you just want some?

Panettone recipe

Ingredients
1/2 c. currants
1/2 c. seedless golden raisins
1/2 c. seedless dark raisins
1/2 c. Calimyrna figs, cut in 1/2-inch pieces (optional)
1/4 c. candied fruit
1/4 c. orange and lemon peel
3/4 c. cognac
Let above ingredients soak over night

1/2 c. pine nuts ~ Add just before adding to dough

Poolish:

1/2 c. milk, at room temperature
4 tsps. moist yeast or 2 tsps. dry yeast
3/4 c. organic all-purpose white flour*

Final Dough:
1 1/2 tbs of crushed anise seed
9 tbsps. unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, halved horizontally, or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
2 tbsps. unsalted butter, melted
3-4 c. organic all-purpose white flour ~ depending on the weight and absorbency of your flour more or less.

First: Mix the Poolish

Combine the milk and yeast in a medium bowl. Stir using a wooden spoon until yeast dissolves. Add the flour and stir until the mixture is the consistency of a batter. Clean the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula so all of the poolish is together . Cover with a clean damp cheese cloth or plastic wrap, and put in a moderately warm (74-80° F) draft-free place until it is puffed up and domed. Ferment 1 hour

Next: Mix the final Dough

Combine butter and sugar in a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a paddle blade. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes. Next add the Poolish and add the eggs and egg yolks, salt,crushed anise seeds and vanilla seeds; beat on medium speed 5 minutes, then gradually add 1 c. of the flour. Fit the mixer with the dough hook. Add 2 1/2 c. of the remaining flour and continue beating at medium speed for 10 minutes. Add the fruit(strain any remaining alcohol) and pine nuts ~ beating 2 minutes more. Lay out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, until smooth and slightly sticky, adding more flour as needed, about 3 to 5 minutes.

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Shape the dough into a ball and place smooth side down in a well-buttered 6-qt. or larger bowl. Flip the dough to coat the top with butter. Take the dough's temperature: the ideal is 78° F. Cover with a clean damp cheese cloth or plastic wrap and place in a moderately warm (74-80° F) draft-free place until doubled in volume. Now allow the dough to ferment(about 2 1/2 hours):

~

Transferring the dough to a lightly floured work surface
briefly knead the dough by pushing down in the center and pulling up on the sides for no more then ~ 10 minutes. Shape into a log.

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Take a Panettone pan and butter it or you can use a 10-inch spring-form pan. Gently press the loaf into the prepared pan of choice. Cover with a damp cheese cloth or even plastic wrap can be used. Place in a warm area draft-free of course. Let dough stand for approximately 2 ~ 3 hours: Dough is ready when is nearly to the rim of the pan.

Preheat oven 400° F. 1 hour prior to baking and place baking stone on center rack. Small bricks can also be used in place of the stone minutes to 1 hour before baking, preheat the oven and homemade hearth or baking stone on the center rack of the oven. After preheated bake panettone for 20 minutes. With a piece of foil cover the top loosely and allow baking to continue until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This will take about 20 ~ 25 minutes. Remove from oven and brush the top with melted butter. Cool on a wire rack. Unmold and cool completely before serving.

Yields 1 10-inch round loaf.

A Mascarpone cream to go with your panettone (optional)

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of frangelico or brandy
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chilled whipping cream
Powdered sugar
1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese room temperature

Using electric mixer or whisk*, beat first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Add 1/2 cup cream; beat until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup cream; beat until thick and stiff. Cover; chill at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

* If using a whisk be prepared to do some heavy beating

mascarpone on french toast

Maybe this will make you want to try Panettone

SPOT Panettone Bistefani 1983

Signori e signore,ormai siamo sotto Natale!in occasione vi mostro una chicca!E' il primissimo di una lunghissima e fortunata serie natalizia del Signor Bistefani e il fornaio Carlo. Il mitico Bistefani dice la famosissima e storica frase:"Chi sono io?Babbo Natale?!"con la traformazione a sorpresa