Homemade Panettone with Dried Fruits Recipe
This traditional Italian Panettone recipe yields a soft, fluffy, and flavorful sweet bread studded with mixed dried fruits and infused with citrus zest and vanilla. Perfect for holiday celebrations or as a delightful treat any time of year.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
Additional Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed dried fruits (raisins, candied orange peel, etc.)
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a small bowl, dissolve the active dry yeast in the warm milk along with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let the mixture sit until frothy, about 10 minutes, to ensure the yeast is active.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, remaining sugar, and salt thoroughly.
- Form Dough: Add the yeast mixture, vanilla extract, lemon zest, orange zest, and eggs to the dry ingredients. Mix well until a dough begins to form.
- Knead Dough: Knead in the softened butter gradually until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. This may take about 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with a mixer.
- Add Fruits: Gently fold in the mixed dried fruits evenly throughout the dough.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a cloth. Let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 2 hours.
- Prepare Mold and Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a panettone mold or a high-sided round cake pan to prevent sticking.
- Shape Dough: Punch down the risen dough to release air. Shape it into a ball and place it in the prepared mold or pan.
- Second Rise: Cover the dough again and let it rise until doubled in size once more, approximately 1 hour.
- Bake: Bake the panettone for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the panettone from the oven and allow it to cool completely before slicing and serving to enjoy optimal texture and flavor.
Notes
- Ensure the milk is warm, not hot, to avoid killing the yeast.
- Kneading is essential for gluten development and a tender crumb; use a stand mixer with dough hooks if preferred.
- Dried fruits can be soaked in rum or orange juice beforehand for extra flavor.
- If you don’t have a panettone mold, a high-sided round cake pan works well.
- Allow the bread to cool thoroughly before slicing to prevent crumbling.
- Store panettone in an airtight container to keep it fresh for several days.
