Homemade panettone cake: the recipe

How to make artisan panettone

Always present on our tables at the end of Christmas lunch and New Year’s Eve dinner, panettone is the main dessert of the holiday season. These days in the shelves of stores and supermarkets we can find so many kinds, but what if we wanted to make a real homemadeartisan panettone ourselves?

Some people prefer it without candied fruit, while others are not crazy about raisins, and the different flavors have resulted in different variants of panettone being put on the market over the years.
Net of the various versions let’s see what is the traditional recipe for making artisan panettone.

We will have to arm ourselves with patience and good will. It is indeed a not so simple recipe and quite time-consuming, having to knead more than one dough and let it rise for several hours, but if followed correctly the result will justify our efforts!

Homemade panettone cake: ingredients

• flour 500 g
• sugar 200 g
• butter 160 g
• water 200 ml
• brewer’s yeast 15 g
• raisins 150 g
• candied fruit 80 g
• halls
• 4 eggs
• 3 yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 lemon peel
• whisk
• panettone mould
• 1 bowl
• baking paper

Procedure for making artisan panettone

1. Prepare the first dough by dissolving 10 grams of yeast in lukewarm water and adding about 150 grams of flour, knead until a smooth dough with a rounded shape is obtained.
Cut a cross on the dough with a knife and place it in a covered bowl, then let it rise for about 1 hour in a warm place (about 30°C).

2. Once it has risen, take the dough again and add 150 grams of flour, 2 eggs and another 5 grams of yeast, and then whisk together; next add 100 grams of sugar and 60 grams of softened butter and mix well. At this point let rise for about 2 hours in a closed container similarly to what was done with the initial dough.

3. Take the dough again, add 2 eggs, 3 yolks and 200 grams of flour; while continuing to knead for 10 minutes, add another 100 grams of sugar, a pinch of salt and the remaining softened butter.

4. Add the raisins and candied fruit to the dough, as well as the vanilla extract and grated lemon zest, mix everything together and let rise for just under 3 hours.

5. Lay the dough in a paper panettone mold after lining it with baking paper; let it rise until it has reached the edges of the mold.

6. Place a knob of butter in the previously incised cross on the end of the dough, and bake at 180°C in a preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes.

7. Take out the panettone and let it cool upside down for a few hours (at least 6 hours are needed for best results). At this point we will have our artisan panettone for 6 to 8 people ready to serve!

One last tip: homemade panettone is much tastier if eaten the day after baking, but it can still keep very well for a couple of weeks if sealed properly in a food bag.