My Foolproof Italian Panettone for Christmas Baking

Making homemade panettone feels like a little holiday project and this version is incredibly fun to prepare. I tweaked the classic method to keep it approachable while still giving you that tall, fragrant, ultra soft Italian Christmas bread that everyone loves. If you want a panettone that rises beautifully, tears into long strands and fills your kitchen with citrus aroma, this method delivers exactly that.

This recipe happens over two days for the best flavor. The process is divided into the Starter, the First Dough, the Flavor Mix and the Second Dough. Preparing ingredients for each step ahead of time keeps everything smooth.

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============= *Section 1: Biga (Starter)* =============

*Ingredients:*

* Bread flour*: ½ cup (60g)
* Fresh yeast: 1 ½ tsp. (5g) (or dry yeast: ¾ tsp. / 2.5g)
* Water: 2 tbsp. (30ml)

** Note: I recommend strong flour with at least 13% protein content for all the steps.

*Steps:*

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and knead into a firm dough.
2. Tear into small pieces.
3. Cover and ferment for 10 to 12 hours until bubbly and full of life. This is the engine that makes the panettone rise.

============= *Section 2: First Dough* =============

*Ingredients:*

* Water – ½ cup (120ml)
* Bread flour – 1 ½ cups (200g)
* Sugar – 4 tbsp (50g)
* Egg yolks – 3
* Room temperature butter – ¼ cup (50g)

For the aromatic mix (needed for the next step):
* Soaked raisins: ½ cup (70g)
* Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon (organic)
* Honey: 1 tbsp. (20g)

*Steps:*

1. Tear the *biga* and place it in the mixing bowl.
2. Add the *water* and *bread flour*. Mix until it starts coming together.
3. *Tear* the dough again to help it hydrate better.
4. Add the *egg yolks.*
5. *Mix* for about 10 minutes. You can increase the speed.
6. Scrape the bowl and bring the dough together.
7. Add the *sugar* and mix until the dough becomes shiny.
8. Add *half of the butter,* mix until incorporated, then *add the rest.*
9. *Knead* for about 10 minutes until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Be careful not to overmix, stop when it’s shiny and elastic (see next step).
10. Perform a *windowpane test* for elasticity.
11. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

12. Soak the *raisins* in water (or orange juice, if preferred), let them soak overnight.
13. Grate the *orange and lemon zest.*
14. Mix the *honey* and *citrus zest* together. Let sit overnight to infuse flavors.

============= *Section 3: Second Dough (the next morning)* =============

*Ingredients:*

* Two egg yolks
* Salt – ½ tsp (3g)
* Bread flour – ⅓ cup (50g)
* Sugar – 4 tbsp (50g)
* Butter – 5 tbsp (70g)
* Optional: Candied orange peel – ⅓ cup (50g)
* Aromatic mixture from the previous step (zest and honey)
* Soaked raisins

*Steps:*

1. Remove the dough from the fridge. It will have risen slightly.
2. Deflate it.
3. Add the *egg yolks* and *salt.* Mix until fully combined.
4. Add the *bread flour* and mix for 10 minutes.
5. Add the *sugar* and mix again.
6. Mix in the *aromatic honey citrus mixture.*
7. Add half the *butter,* combine briefly, then add the rest.
8. Knead for 5 minutes and check elasticity with a windowpane test.
9. Add the raisins and candied peel. Mix gently by hand or with a very short low speed mix.

============= *Shaping and Baking* =============

1. Let the dough rest for 1.5 hours.
2. Grease your work surface with oil or butter.
3. Lift the dough from the center, fold it over itself, and rotate to create tension.
4. Rest 30 minutes. Repeat folding.
5. Rest another 30 minutes. Do a final tightening and shape into a ball.
6. Place it into a 1 kg panettone mold (7 inch or 18 cm diameter and 4.5 inch or 11.5 cm height).
7. Cover and let rise until the dough is 2 cm from the top.
8. Score the top with two cuts.
9. Place a small piece of butter in the center.

10. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 55 minutes in a convection oven, or 320°F (160°C) for conventional ovens.
11. Immediately pierce the sides with skewers and cool upside down to preserve structure. Keep the panettone in the mold until completely cool, best overnight.

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Get your panettone molds here: https://amzn.to/4oFdWh4 or here https://amzn.to/4q0f9AV
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Let the panettone rest for a week inside an airtight food grade plastic bag to develop the best flavor, or enjoy it immediately and savor the results of your hard work!
Enjoy your homemade panettone!

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#panettone #christmas #foodlanguage #recipe

DAY 1 Morning The next day Morning This panettone was so fun to make! I tweaked the recipe a little The result is amazing! I really wish you could smell the aroma For the starter:
Bread flour – ½ cup (60g) Fresh yeast – 1 ½ tsp. (5g)
or dry yeast – ¾ tsp. (2.5g) Water – 2 tbsp. (30ml) Start mixing The result is a stiff dough It’s called biga and it’s amazing! Tear the biga into small pieces This is all it takes to make our panettone rise Cover and let ferment for 10-12 hours It’s full of life! Tear it again and place in the mixing bowl Water – ½ cup (120ml) Bread flour – 1 ½ cups (200g) Start mixing What country are you watching from? Please say Hi in the comments below 🥰 I would love to hear from you 🥰 I prefer kneading it for a couple of minutes You can use the stand mixer for this My mixer can’t handle it Tear into small pieces It helps the dough absorb everything better Add 3 egg yolks Start mixing The hook attachment can also be used Mix for 10 minutes You can increase the speed Remove the dough from the hook Scrape the sides to bring everything together Sugar – 4 tbsp. (50g) Mix until the dough becomes shiny Looks great! So shiny! It’s ready to receive the butter Butter pieces – ¼ cup (50g) Add half Mix until incorporated Add the remaining butter Mix for about 10 minutes When it pulls from the bowl, it’s a good sign Perfectly shiny and elastic Here’s how to test if your dough is ready Stretch the dough to check if it’s elastic It’s thin enough to see light through Optional: with a wet hand gather it into a ball Cover and move to the fridge overnight Now for the flavor bomb Grate the zest from a lemon and an orange My lemon is huge, I’ll only grate half So much aroma in this step! Only use organic citrus for zest Honey – 1 tbsp. (20g) Add the zest Mix well Cover and let infuse overnight Raisins – ½ cup (70g) Cover with water and let soak overnight The dough has risen a little Deflate it These are the remaining ingredients Two egg yolks Salt – ½ tsp. (3g) Mix until fully incorporated Bread flour – ⅓ cup (50g) Mix for 10 minutes Looks perfect Sugar – 4 tbsp. (50g) Mix until fully incorporated The dough is ready for the final ingredients Add the aromatic bomb (zest and honey) Butter – 5 tbsp. (70g) Add half A short mix to incorporate it Scrape to make sure there’s no butter left Add the remaining butter Mix for 5 more minutes The dough is looking gorgeous! Windowpane test Perfectly elastic Optional: candied orange peel – ⅓ cup (50g) Add the soaked raisins Mix with a wet hand Or you can spin it in the mixer for 10 seconds I prefer to do it by hand It looks amazing Let the dough rest for 1.5 hours Grease the work surface Use vegetable oil or butter Grab the dough from the center and lift it Fold it on itself a couple of times Rotate and pull to create surface tension Repeat the process after 30 minutes Lift and fold Tuck and fold into a tight ball Let it rest for 30 minutes Get the mold ready One more quick lift and fold Final surface tightening Place into the mold Let it rise until it’s 2″ (5 cm) from the edge A shower cap is perfect for covering it The color is amazing! Make two cuts I like to raise the corners a little Place a small piece of butter in the center Grease the bowl Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 55 minutes 320°F (160°C) for conventional ovens Now watch the magic happen Now we have to be quick Quickly pierce the sides with two long skewers Place the panettone upside down to cool Let it rest and get some rest yourself! So soft! The moment of truth Our very own homemade panettone The aroma is inebriating! So soft! Cut yourself a nice wedge It’s so light! Tears into strands, as a good panettone should I really wish you could smell the aroma 4.5″ (11.5 cm) 7″ (18 cm)