Quick & Easy Panettone Bread Recipe –
The Softest Homemade Panettone
Emma Fontanella’s quick and easy homemade panettone
About My Quick & Easy Home Panettone
Homemade panettone is delicious. It’s soft, light and fluffy; buttery like brioche; scented with citrus and studded with dried fruit. It really smells like Christmas! If you enjoy making bread, panettone a fantastic one to make during the holiday season.
I’ve always thought that panettone made the traditionally way is just too much effort for most home bakers. First, the bread itself takes three days to make. Not only that, though, it requires you to develop a strong sourdough starter, using with multiple rounds of refreshment. That itself can take weeks, if you allow for things to go wrong, which they often do! The baked panettone also needs to be hung upside down to cool, otherwise it will collapse. How are people supposed to hang their panettone upside down at home?!
With my easy method, we can eliminate all these issues. We end up with a panettone that’s identical to a traditional panettone, but we can make the whole thing start to finish all on the same day. And, we can let it cool the right way up, so there’s no need for a DIY construction project to make a rack to hang it upside down!
This panettone, and the method for making it is taken from my new cookbook, Simple Pleasures.
Emma Fontanella’s homemade panettone, without toppings (left) and with sugar and almond toppings (right)
Why this recipe works
The first secret to this panettone recipe is the use of commercial yeast rather than using a traditional sourdough starter. Traditionally people have used sourdough starters, but we don’t need that—the flavor of panettone comes from the butter-enriched dough and scent of citrus. The second secret is the long first mixing before adding the butter. This allows for the development of a strong gluten network. The use of commercial yeast means we get a much faster rise. This, together with the strong gluten network, yields a panettone that can hold its own weight. That means there is no need to hang this panettone upside down while it cools. And, because of the fast fermentation, the whole process of making the panettone can be easily done in one day, rather than the traditional three days.
How do Italians eat panettone?
Being a bread, rather than a cake, panettone is incredibly versatile. Just a simple slice is perfect with coffee and makes an easy, indulgent holiday breakfast. It’s delicious with a glass sweet dessert wine, or slathered with mascarpone at the end of a relaxed meal. It also makes a great centre piece—there’s a real sense of occasion when you bring a whole panettone to the table at the end of a celebratory meal. Panettone is also great toasted, with sweet or savory toppings like chocolate-hazelnut spread, or cheese.
Is panettone difficult to make?
Making panettone the traditional way is a time-consuming project. None of the individual steps are super difficult, but taken together it’s a lot. Not many of us have several days to spend on a single bake at home. That’s why I devised this quick recipe, to make homemade panettone achievable for anyone.
Make Ahead
When cool, the panettone can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.
(Remember, panettone is a fresh bread - you shouldn’t expect it to last a long time!) The shelf-stable versions you find in supermarkets are nothing like the real thing!
A Boozy Variation
For a boozy variation, soak the dry fruit in alcohol instead of water the night before you want to make the panettone. Dark rum, cognac, and bourbon all work well.
To a small saucepan, add the dried fruit and ½ cup (120g) of your chosen alcohol. Carefully bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and continue to heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the fruit and liquid into a heat-safe bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and let soak overnight at room temperature. The next day, prepare the panettone as directed.
How To Make Candied Citrus Peels
These homemade candied citrus peels are perfect for adding to baked goods like panettone because they aren’t too sweet. Store-bought candied peels tend to be covered in sugar and are way too sweet in my opinion.
To make homemade candied citrus peels, slice the citrus fruits into quarters and cut away the soft flesh, leaving the peels with the white pith still attached. (Obviously use the flesh for something else or squeeze it to make juice.) Using a teaspoon, scrape away the loose, fibrous parts of the white pith, leaving an even layer of the pith in place. Cut the peels into slices. Weigh the peels. Then weigh out the same amount of granulated white sugar and water. Set aside.
Now, in a pan of cold water, bring the citrus peels to the boil. When the water is boiling, discard the water. Repeat the process another two times. This will remove the bitterness from the peels.
Finally, bring the water and sugar you set aside to the boil to make a syrup, and gently boil the citrus peels in the syrup until it reduces and becomes thick.
Remove the citrus peels, and allow them to dry on parchment paper for about an hour, and then on a wire rack for 2 or 3 more hours.
The stretching and folding technique for the panettone dough
Where to buy paper panettone molds
You can find suitable panettone molds online. For this recipe, you’re looking for one tall 1kg panettone molds or two tall 500g molds.
(Very approximately, these will have approximate dimensions of about: 4½ inches (11cm) high and 6¾ inches (17cm) wide. Please note that these sizes are approximate, and will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.)
Some suggestions are:
For the United States:
For Canada - https://www.amazon.ca/Novacart-Panettone-Mold-P155-Pieces/dp/B07KX8YMGQ/
For the United Kingdom - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BGCJ93YC
For Australia - https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BGCJ93YC/
EQUIPMENT
Stand mixer with dough hook (required)
Paper panettone mold(s) - one 1kg mold, or two 500g molds.
(Available online - see the section “Where to buy paper panettone molds” above)
YIELD
1 panettone in one 1kg mold; or 2 panettone in two 500g molds.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE DRIED FRUIT
1-1¼ cups (200-250g) mixed chopped dried fruit, raisins, and candied citrus peel
(see the section “How To Make Candied Citrus Peels“ above)
2 cups boiling water
FOR THE DOUGH
½ cup + 1 tbsp (130g) whole milk
½ cup + 1 tosp (130g) water
2 tsp (7g) active dry yeast
4½ cups (600g) all-purpose flour, divided
¾ cup (150g) granulated white sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
Zest of 1 large lemon
1½ tsp salt
3 large egg yolks
½ tbsp vanilla extract
8 tbsp (1 stick / 115g)
unsalted butter, at room temperature
FOR THE EGG WASH
1 large egg
1 tosp whole milk
FOR THE TOPPING (OPTIONAL)
20 whole raw almonds, roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp pearl sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Soak the dried fruit
To a medium bowl, add the dried fruit (not the candied citrus peel) and cover with the hot water. Add enough water to cover the fruit. Set aside for 10 minutes.
(If you’d like to soak the fruit in alcohol, see the section “A Boozy Vacation” above.)
Activate the yeast
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk and water for 30 seconds until just warm (not hot). Add the yeast and stir to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.
Make the dough
To the bowl of a stand mixer, add 3 cups (400g) flour, the sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, and salt. (You only add part of the flour at this stage, to avoid overloading the motor of the stand mixer.) Using the dough hook attachment, mix to combine.
Add the yeast mixture, egg yolks, and vanilla. Knead on medium speed until the dough comes together. Once the dough comes together, increase the speed to high and continue kneading for 8 to 20 minutes more. Don’t use time to judge this. Instead use the visual guide that the dough is ready when you can easily stretch it thinly enough so that you can see your fingers through it (this is called the “window pane test”).
Add the butter
While continuing to knead, gradually add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, and fully incorporate before adding the next tablespoon. Once all the butter is incorporated, continue kneading for another 3 minutes. At this stage, the dough should be loose and very smooth.
Add the remaining 1½ cups (200g) of flour and mix on medium/high speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the dried fruit
Drain the soaked dried fruit (squeeze out any excess water) and add to the dough along with the candied citrus peel. Mix for 1 minute until the fruit is evenly distributed through the dough.
Fold the dough during the first rise
Transfer the dough onto a buttered or oiled work surface and flatten it into a square shape with a thickness of about ½ inch (1.25cm). Fold in half, and in half again. Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl.
Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature.
After 30 minutes, using wet hands, gently add more folds and cover again with plastic wrap (see the step-by-step photos above). These folds give the finished panettone its light texture. Repeat this folding process four more times at 30-minute intervals. (The total time for the first rise is 2½ hours.)
Prepare the mold
Place the panettone mold on a baking sheet. Later, this will allow you to transfer the delicate panettone into the oven without having to directly touch the paper mold, which may deflate the panettone.
Transfer the dough to the mold
Using wet hands, gently transfer the dough into the mold (with the rough side facing down, leaving a smooth surface on top of the ball), being careful to retain as much air in the dough as you can. Lightly grease the top of the panettone with oil and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing it down gently onto the top surface (don't deflate it!). The oil will prevent the plastic wrap from sticking to the dough. Make sure the top surface of the dough is completely covered with the plastic wrap to prevent the panettone from drying out.
Rise again
Allow the dough to rise until it reaches the top of the mold, about
2 to 3 hours. Don't proceed with the recipe until the dough has risen to the top of the mold.
Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Apply the egg wash
In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of milk until well combined. Gently remove the plastic wrap from the panettone and brush the top with the egg wash. Add the almond and pearl sugar topping, if using.
Bake the panettone
Place the panettone on the bottom rack of the oven, away from the heat source. Bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, quickly but carefully open the oven and place a sheet of aluminum foil on top of the panettone. This will prevent the top from burning. Continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes more.
The total baking time should be 50 minutes to 1 hour. After 50 minutes, using a long skewer inserted to the center of the panettone, do the "toothpick test". If there's no wet dough stuck to the skewer, the panettone is ready. Keep baking until it's ready-it might take an additional 10 minutes, depending on your oven.
Allow the panettone to cool
Leave the panettone in the paper mold (but remove it from the baking sheet) and place it on a rack and allow to cool for at least 2 hours before serving.
Watch the video for more tips
Hi! I’m Emma Fontanella. Here you’ll find trusted, tested recipes to satisfy your baking addiction and carb cravings. Learn more…
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