ISLAMABAD: Panettone, a delightful Italian sweet bread hailing from Milan, is an exquisite dessert. The process of making this cake-like treat is lengthy yet fascinating, involving ingredients such as nuts, eggs, and sugar.
Ingredients:
250 g Flour T-45
10 g Fresh Yeast
75 g Castor Sugar
155 g Milk
75 g Whole Eggs
20 g Egg Yolks
80 g Unsalted Butter
2.5 g Bread Improver
3.5 g Salt
80 g Raisins
80 g Candied Orange
35 g Candied Lemon
35 g Red Cherries
Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine 30 g of warm milk with 5 g of yeast.
Let it sit until the yeast dissolves. Stir in 30 g of flour, cover with cling film, and let it rest for 30 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, egg yolks, and whole eggs. Add this mixture to the sponge and mix until well combined.
Mix the butter with the remaining flour until crumbly, then gradually add the egg mixture.
Incorporate the rest of the ingredients, except for the fruits, and beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and forms long strands. Gently fold in the candied fruits and raisins.
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with cling film, and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 2 hours.
Once risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to deflate it.
Divide the dough into two pieces, shape each into a ball, and place them in prepared molds. Let them rise in a warm area for about two hours until they double in size again.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Make an X on top of each loaf with oiled scissors or a blade, then brush the tops lightly with egg wash.
After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 190°C and bake for an additional 30 minutes. If the tops brown too much, cover them with foil.
The loaves are done when a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Serve and enjoy!
