PANETTONE - MILANESE BREAD

This traditional bread from Milan in Italy is very popular all over the world during the Christmas and New Year period as well as on Easter day. It is a sweet bread that is renowned for being the favorite gift during those festivities, but also at any time of the year, because it is so delicious...

The origin of the name "Panettone" (see info) comes from a milanese baker named Toni who fell in love with a very beautiful woman he used to see walk past by his bakery everyday. In order to tempt her inside his boutique and after six months of hard labour, he created a golden, tall, domed loaf. His plan worked well, but unfortunately, when their eyes met, he fell out of love for her! All his efforts were not in vain as his new creation called "Pan De Toni" ("Toni's Bread"), currupted to "Panettone", is now well-spread throughout Italy and the rest of the world, and much loved by everybody.

The recipe for this "Panettone" is absolutely wonderful, because the loaf you'll end up with is as good or even better than the ones that you can buy for exasperatingly high prices in stores. It's really incredible both taste- and texture-wise!

Thanks to the biga method (traditional), this "Panettone" has an extremely moist and light soft interior and an uncomparable and elegant flavor. Not only does it look aesthetically beautiful, but it is also very good tasting. "Panettone" is the queen of brioches, a delightful dessert bread that is delicately perfumed with the comforting and mellow aromas of vanilla and lemon! No word can describe the way you feel or translate the intense pleasure you experience when you are savoring this scrummy speciality...

~ Panettone or Milanese Bread ~
Recipe by The King Arthur Flour and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums

Makes 1 loaf.

Ingredients for the biga (starter):
1 1/2 Cups (180g) Plain white flour
1/2 Cup (125g) Water
1/2 Tsp Dried yeast
Ingredients for the dough:
3 Large eggs (~ 53g)
1/2 Cup (125g) Unsalted butter, softened

2 1/2 Cups (315g) Plain white flour

1/3 Cup (75g) Castor sugar
5 Tsps Dried yeast
1 1/2 Tsps Salt

2 Tsps Vanilla extract

3/4 - 1 Tsp Lemon oil
A pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
1 1/2 Cups (270g) Dried fruits (see remarks)

Method for the biga:
1. Combine the flour, water and yeast, kneading briefly to make a stiff dough.
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rise overnight at room temperature, about 12 hours

Method for the dough:
1. In a bowl and with the help of a mixer, combine the biga with all the ingredients for the dough, except the dried fruits.

2. Knead the dough until it's smooth and supple.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rest for 1 hour.
4. Then, knead the fruits into the dough, by hand or machine.
5. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then shape it into a round loaf (ball method) and place it into the prepared pan/mould.
6. Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut an "X" across the top.
7. Cover the dough/pan with a towel and set it aside to rise for 2 hours or so.
8. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).

9. Bake the panettone for 45 minutes, tenting it with aluminium foil for the final 15 minutes of baking.

10. Remove the panettone from the oven, turn it out of the pan and let cool on a rack.
11. Sprinkle the top with icing sugar.

Remarks:
Regarding the dried fruits, I used 100g candied mixed peels, 50g candied citrus peel, 80g raisins and 40g sultanas.
Of course, you can use the mixture you want. For example, you can take dried pinapple, mango, apricots, cranberries, candied cherries or toasted walnuts, etc...
As this dough is very difficult to make by hand, I recommend you to use a machine of some sort (electric mixer).
When starting to knead, the dough will seem very gummy, but it will come together nicely at the end.
When kneading the fruits into the dough, work only until the dough has accepted the fruits, as overhandling will cause the fruits to release too much sugar into the dough, thus slowing the rise.
For the mould, take a 20cm (8 inches) wide pan which is 15cm (6 inches) deep and grease it with some softened butter. Then, line the base and sides of the pan/mould with baking parchment, so that it extends 12cm (5 inches) above the top.
The loaf might not double in size when rising for the second time, but that's normal (although mine did).
Tap the underside of the loaf with your fingers, if it sounds hollow, then it's perfectly baked and ready.
You can keep this bread a few days, wrapped in towels, at room temperature.

Serving suggestions:
Eat for breakfast or teatime, cut into thickish slices and sprinkled with more icing sugar.