Traditional Italian panettone — the sweet holiday cake with raisins and candied fruit

Panettone is the symbolic cake of Christmas and the end-of-year holidays in Italy, born in Milan. Its soft dough, naturally leavened, with raisins and pieces of candied orange and lemon, makes it one of the most beloved sweets in the world. This classic recipe requires a little patience for the rising, but the result is fully worth it.

INGREDIENTS (for 1 panettone, about 1 kg):

• 500 g strong bread flour (manitoba or bread flour)
• 150 g sugar
• 150 g soft butter, at room temperature
• 3 eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 120 ml warm milk
• 15 g fresh yeast (or 7 g dry yeast)
• 150 g raisins
• 100 g candied fruit (orange and lemon), cut into pieces
• Grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon honey

PREPARATION STEPS:

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with 1 teaspoon of sugar and let it rest 10 minutes until foamy.
2. In a large bowl mix the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the eggs, the yolk, honey, vanilla, the grated citrus zests and the yeast mixture.
3. Knead for 10–12 minutes until you get an elastic dough. Add the butter little by little, continuing to knead until the dough becomes soft and smooth.
4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2–2.5 hours, or until doubled in volume.
5. Rinse the raisins in warm water and dry well. Mix the raisins and candied fruit into the dough.
6. Place the dough in the cylindrical panettone mold (or in a pot lined with baking paper). Let it rise for another hour.
7. Heat the oven to 180°C. Make a cross-shaped cut on the dough surface and bake for 45–50 minutes, until the surface turns golden. If it browns quickly, cover with aluminum foil.
8. Let it cool completely upside down (as Italian tradition dictates), so the dough doesn’t collapse. Then slice and serve.

TIME AND SERVINGS: Preparation about 40 minutes + rising about 3.5 hours + baking 45–50 minutes. Makes 10–12 slices.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0, Pasticceria Cucchi).