Panettone Di Milano

Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

• 5 cups pastry flour
• 1 envelope yeast
• 2 teaspoons lukewarm water (for yeast)
• 1/2-1 cup lukewarm water (to add to flour in 2 additions)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 4 egg yolks (at room temp.)
• 2 eggs (at room temp.)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water (to add to eggs, and sugar)
• 2/3 cup seedless raisin (i use the golden ones)
• 1/2 cup orange rind, cut into small pieces (** can use 1/2 cup candied citron or 1/4 cup citron + 1/4 cup orange peel instead)
• 1/2 tablespoon butter (*divided if making 2 loaves)
• butter
• parchment paper (to line baking sheets)

Recipe

• 1 this cake should be started the day before the actual baking (or very early on the same day).
• 2 sift and measure flour.
• 3 blend yeast with 2 teaspoons warm water and let stand 5 minutes.
• 4 add yeast mixture to 1/2 cup flour and mix well.
• 5 make a little ball of dough out of the flour/yeast mixture.
• 6 place the dough in a bowl, in a warm place for 2 hours.
• 7 when ball of dough has doubled in size, place 2 cups pastry flour on a pasty board, place yeast dough in the middle, add enough lukewarm water to make a soft pliable ball and knead carefully.
• 8 cover well and let stand in a warm place for 3 hours.
• 9 place 1 cup pastry flour on board, add yeast dough and enough lukewarm water to make a soft pliable ball of dough and knead well.
• 10 let stand in warm place for 2 hours.
• 11 when dough has risen again, place 1 1/2 cups flour on pastry board, add dough, salt and melted butter and knead together well.
• 12 beat together egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar and 1/2 cup lukewarm water.
• 13 beat until frothy.
• 14 add to dough a little at a time, kneading constantly until everything is well absorbed.
• 15 add raisins and peel and knead well to distribute fruit evenly.
• 16 you can make 1 large panettone, or loaf, or 2 small ones.
• 17 if you wish to make two, divide dough in half and shape.
• 18 let the shaped dough rise in a warm place for 4 to 6 hours (depending on the heat in your kitchen).
• 19 the loaf or loaves should be double their original size, and the dough should be very soft to the touch.
• 20 make a cross mark with a sharp knife on the top of each loaf, and place loaf on buttered paper on a baking sheet.
• 21 place in a preheated, hot oven (400°f) for 5 minutes.
• 22 remove from oven quickly, and place a 1/2 tablespoon butter* in the center of the cross mark; (*if making 2 loaves, use 1/4 tablespoon in each loaf).
• 23 return to oven and bake at 400°f for 15 minutes.
• 24 lower heat to 375°f, and continue baking 45 minutes, or longer, depending on the size of the loaf.
• 25 remove from oven and cool on a rack.
• 26 this cake keeps fresh a long time, stored in a plastic bag.
• 27 its not necessary to keep it refrigerated.