For the Milanesi, panettone is the Christmas dessert par excellence. This soft and spongy cloud of dough is filled with raisins and candied fruit, releasing an intense fragrance of bread and citrus as soon as you cut into it. And that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. A delight to the senses, this bread is crafted by skilled bakers through a slow, painstaking process using nothing but the best ingredients. But it’s a treat that can also be replicated at home, starting with top-quality flour and eggs, two carefully leavened doughs, and meticulous care during each step of the process.
Choosing the right panettone ingredients
Making panettone at home is not for everyone. It requires time, attention, and a certain type of dexterity to craft the dough. Most importantly, you have to find the right ingredients. It all begins with the starter (which you can ask for at your local bakery and then keep it “alive” until you’re ready to make the panettone) and flour with the right strength – because not all flour is the same. The types of flour most suitable for panettone are those with a W above 350 (this is an index that measures the “strength” of flour), which can be found in specialty stores. Even Manitoba flour, which is easier to find, isn’t strong enough for this recipe. For the eggs, choose a variety with yellow yolks: they will give the dough that characteristic bright, warm color of the panettone found in bakeries. For the candied fruit, make sure they measure about 1/4-inch per side: smaller pieces will be tricky to work with while larger pieces will be excessive.
Here’s what you need to prepare 2 panettone weighing 1 lb. each
11 oz. W380 flour – 6 oz. butter, plus a bit extra – 5 oz. sugar – 4 oz. candied orange – 4 oz. raisins, soaked in water and Marsala wine – 1.5 oz candied citron – 1 1/2 tbsp. honey – 0.5 oz. fresh brewer’s yeast, crumbled – 9 egg yolks – vanilla – starter, fed and risen – orange – lemon – salt – sunflower seed oil