Panettone: BBA Challenge

It's day 24 in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge and we're making Panettone.  I thought about skipping this one until December but I didn't want to get out of sequence in the challenge so I just took a little break.  You probably didn't miss me because I've been making other breads and jams in the meantime. 

It's November and I'll be making festive breads this month anyway so I decided it was time to make the Panettone.  I'll just freeze it until December.  It is an enriched bread so it should freeze pretty well.

A bit of Panettone history ...

Panettone is an Italian Christmas Bread that originated in Milan. There are differing stories surrounding the origins of this bread but my favorite is the one that Peter Reinhart recounts in his book. Legend has it that the bread was created a few hundred years ago by a humble baker named Tony to woo his beloved, the daughter of a rich merchant.  More importantly, he had to win over the father to the idea of his daughter marrying a baker, so he pulled out all the stops and filled this bread with the baker's equivalent of the gifts of the wise men: butter, brandied dried and candied fruits, nuts, and sugar.  The merchant was so impressed that he not only gave his daughter in marriage, but also set Tony up with his own bakery in Milan with the promise that he would continue to make his bread, pane Tony.

Panettone
Makes: Two large loaves, a bunch of small loaves or a combination

 

Recipe found on page 202 of the Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart.

 

 

Ingredients:

Wild-Yeast Sponge

• 1 cup (7 ounces) mature starter
• 1 cup (8 ounces) milk, lukewarm (90 to 100 degrees F.)
• 1 cup (4.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

Fruit Blend

• 1 cup (6 ounces) golden raisins
• 1 cup (6 ounces) candied fruit blend (or dried fruit, such as dried cranberries, apricots, and apples)
• 1/2 cup (6 ounces) brandy, rum, or whiskey
• 1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) orange or lemon extract
• 1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) vanilla extract or Fiori di Sicilia (a blend of extracts and floral oils)

Dough Ingredients

• 3 cups (13.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon (.19 ounce) salt
• 1 tablespoon (.33 ounce) instant yeast
• 1 large (1.65 ounces) egg, at room temperature and slightly beaten
• 1 large (.65 ounce) egg yolk
• 4 to 6 tablespoons (2 to 3 oz) water, lukewarm (90 to 100 degrees F.)
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (5 ounces) blanched almonds, slivered or chopped

 

Preparing the Wild-Yeast Sponge

The day before making the bread, add a cup of barm (wild-yeast starter) in a medium mixing bowl.  Peter Reinhart outlines his method for making barm on page 230; however, I have 3 starters in the refrigerator so it didn't make since for me to make another one. 

 

I used the starter I created in 2007 from a recipe from the Boudin Bakery in San Francisco. It took me a little while to get the flavor of the starter right. I had to throw it away a couple of weeks after I started it because it turned pink. I started it again a few weeks later and it's been working fine ever since.


Mix in the milk and flour just long enough to hydrate all the flour and to make a sponge.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment at room temperature for approximately 4 hours, or until the sponge begins to foam and bubble, then put it in the refrigerator overnight.

Soaking the fruit

While you're waiting for the sponge to ferment, mix together the raisins and candied fruit in a bowl.  Add liquor (I used rum) and extracts. 

Cover the bowl and let this sit out overnight to allow the fruit to fully absorb the liquid.


Mixing the Dough

The next day, remove the wild-yeast sponge from the refrigerator 1 hour before making the dough to take off the chill.

Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer).   Add the sponge, egg, and egg yolk.  Stir (or mix) these together until the form a firm, but supple, ball.  I started out using my stand mixer but decided partway through to switch to the Danish dough whisk.

Add as much of the lukewarm water as needed to form a dough.  I didn't need to add any of the water. The sponge provided enough liquid because of the consistency of the starter that I used to make the sponge. 

Stop mixing and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes to let the gluten begin to develop.   Add the softened butter and the soaked fruit mixture and continue mixing until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

 

Transfer the dough to a counter sprinkled with flour and knead the dough gently for 2 to 4 minutes, until it is soft and supple but not overly sticky although it can be very tacky.   Gradually work in the almonds until they are evenly distributed.

Add flour if necessary (you will probably have to sprinkle small amounts of flour continually as you knead to keep it from sticking to your hands, but use only the minimum necessary to allow you to knead without getting the dough all over your hands).

To keep the dough from sticking to my hands and to keep from adding too much flour, I periodically dipped my hands in flour and rubbed them together to get the mixture off my hands and incorporate it back in the dough.  This way, I didn't have to wash my hands every time I needed to take a photo.  Besides, they just get sticky again and washing them off wastes the dough.   You can see the sprinkles of dough that came off of my hands in the photo above and below.

The entire kneading process, after the resting period, should take 6 to 10 minutes.  The dough should be soft and supple, tacky but not sticky. It took me a good 10 minutes (maybe a little more) to get the dough the right consistency.

Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours.  During this time, it will rise very slowly and only increase to about 1 1/2 times its original size.

Preparing Panettone Pans

You can use professional panettone papers or prepare the pans as shown below:

Use the bottom of a round pan to trace a circle on baking parchment.  Cut out the circle and place it in the bottom of the pan.  You can also make a parchment collar to ensure easy removal after baking.  I decided to use a springform pan for easy removal but I also lined it with parchment paper.

Shaping the Loaves

Divide the dough into the desired sizes.  If you are making large 2-pound loaves, divide the dough in half and round the pieces into 2 boules.  Place them into the prepared pans.  Press the dough down slightly to spread it into the papers or pans.  The dough should reach halfway up the forms. 

I made one large loaf and a bunch of smaller loaves.

To make mini panettones, you can use individual baking papers or grease muffin pans and fill each cup half full.

Mist the dough with spray oil and loosely cover the pans with plastic wrap.

Proof the dough at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until it nearly doubles and has risen just to the height of the pans.

Baking the Loaves

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with the oven rack in the lower third of the oven.   Bake large loaves for up to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the oven.  Bake mini loaves for 25 to 35 minutes.  The top of the dough could get very brown before the center is baked.  If so, cover the tops with aluminum foil or a sheet of baking parchment.  My loaf was starting to get too brown on top so I covered it with baking parchment.

The finished bread should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom, and be golden brown all around.

Transfer the loaves to a cooling rack and thoroughly cool before serving, at least 2 hours.  These breads are best kept by wrapping them in aluminum foil after they completely cool.  You can store them at room temperature for as long as 2 weeks.

You can also freeze them for up to 3 months to save for special occasions.  That's what I'm going to do with the big one. 

 

I know I said I would freeze all of the bread, but I think we'll just eat the mini ones.  They make good snacks. Yummy!

 

I'm submitting these delicious loaves to YeastSpotting, a bread roundup hosted by Susan of Wild Yeast.  Please visit Wild Yeast to view all of the lovely breads in the roundup.

 

Thanks for joining us this week in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge!

The next bread in Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge, is Pizza Napoletana (page 207).  I can't wait to try this one.  I love pizza! 

Happy Baking!
Cathy

Traditional Christmas Stollen

Stollen, a German Christmas bread, originates from Dresden. The bread symbolizes the blanket of the baby Jesus, and the colored fruits represent the gifts of the Magi.

 

This version of Stollen can be made in a fairly reasonable amount of time, about 4 hours from start to finish due to the strong sponge that leavens the dough at a brisk pace.  The dough can be made into a traditional stollen shape or as a Panettone.

 

Traditional-Shaped Stollen

Stollen Recipe

Makes: 1 large or two small stollen
This traditional recipe is from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice

Preparation: 1 hour sponge; 20 minutes mixing; 2 hours fermentation, shaping, and proofing; 50 to 70 minutes baking


Ingredients:
Sponge:

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons instant yeast

Fruit:*

• 1 cup golden raisins, plus additional for sprinkling on final dough
• 1 cup candied fruit mix, plus additional for sprinkling on final dough
• 1/2 cup brandy, rum, or schnapps
• 1 tablespoon orange or lemon extract
  
  *If you prefer, you can substitute regular dried fruit, such as dried cranberries or apricots, for the candied fruit.

Dough:

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• About 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds (or marzipan)
• Vegetable oil or melted butter for topping
• Powdered sugar for topping
  

Directions:

Make the sponge by warming the milk to about 100°F. Whisk in the flour and yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and ferment for 1 hour, or until the sponge is very foamy and ready to collapse when tapped.




Combine 1 cup each of the raisins and fruit mix, the brandy, and the orange extract. Set aside.**

**To improve the flavor and preserve the bread, it is best to soak the fruit a few days ahead of time. Here's how:

Two days before making this bread, soak the raisins and candied fruit in the brandy, rum, or schnapps and the orange or lemon extract, tossing the fruit a few times a day until the liquid is absorbed. If you'd prefer not to use alcohol, you can double the amount of extract and add 1/2 cup of water. You can also simply add the fruit, without the alcohol, into the final dough and add the extract directly to the dough.




I used raisins and dried cranberries for this recipe since that is what I had on hand. I soaked the raisins and cranberries in orange extract and water for a couple of days which gave them a very nice aroma and flavor.


To make the dough, in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), stir together the flour, sugar, salt, orange and lemon zests, and cinnamon.  Then stir in ( or mix in on low speed with the paddle attachment) the sponge, egg, butter, and enough water to form a soft, but not sticky, ball.



This should take about 2 minutes. When the dough comes together, cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.



Add in the fruit and mix it with your hands (or on low speed) to incorporate.



Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing with the dough hook) to distribute the fruit evenly, adding additional flour if needed. The dough should feel soft and satiny, tacky but not sticky.  Knead for approximately 6 minutes (4 minutes by machine). Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Ferment at room temperature for 45 minutes. The dough will rise somewhat but will not double in size.


 
Shaping the Stollen:

Sprinkle flour lightly on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. If you are making 2 loaves, divide the dough in half. (I'm making one big loaf)

With your hands, form the dough into a thick rectangle, 8 by 4 inches (5 by 3 inches for 2 smaller loaves), and dust it with flour.



Sprinkle the top with slivered almonds and extra fruit.



Take a small rolling pin and press down on the center of the rectangle,


Roll the dough in the center only, leaving 1 inch at both the top and the bottom edges as thick as the original rectangle.



The new rectangle, with its thick top and bottom edges, should be 12 inches wide by 6 inches long (8 by 5 inches for 2 loaves). The interior of the rectangle should be about 1/2 inch thick.

Using a pastry scraper to loosen the dough from the counter, lift the top edge and bring it down and over the bottom edge, going just past the bottom edge. The thin inside part of the rectangle should remain behind the bottom edge.

Turn the dough seam side up and tuck additional slivered almonds and fruit under the dough flap.
 

Fold the top edge back over the bottom edge and rest it on the thin center section. Tuck more almonds and fruit under the new fold.  The dough should have a folded, layered look, with fruit and almonds peaking out both sides. Gently squeeze the loaf to press it together.



Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Transfer the stollen to the pan and, as you set the dough down, curl it into a slight crescent.  Mist the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap.



Proof for approximately 1 hour at room temperature, or until the dough is 1 1/2 times its original size. Preheat the oven to 350°F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Bake the stollen for 20 minutes.



Rotate the pan 180 degrees fro even baking and continue to bake for 20 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the loaves. The bread will bake to a dark mahogany color, should register 190°F in the center of the loaf, and should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.



Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and brush the top with vegetable oil while still hot.  Immediately tap a layer of powdered sugar over the top through a sieve or sifter.




Wait for 1 minute, then tap another layer over the first.  The bread should be coated generously with the powdered sugar.



Let cool for at least 1 hour before serving. When completely cool, store in a plastic bag. Or, leave them out uncovered overnight to dry out slightly, German style.

Happy Baking!

--Cathy


Additional festive bread recipes and resources:

• Holiday Breads
• Festive Breads
• Scones Recipes
• Cranberry Bread Recipes