Panettone
Nevermind shopping days until Christmas – I’m counting down the baking days before Christmas. There are some things that can only be made during the holidays – mince tarts and shortbread December is an excuse to make rich breads with eggs and butter, loaded with dried fruit – like a yeasted fruitcake you can slice and toast and spread with butter and eat with your coffee.
I’ve made stollen for the past few years, but thought I’d take the leap over to panettone (a quick trip from Germany to Italy) once I realized that those Weck jars I’m in lust with are oven safe up to 450F, and thus perfectly stylish vehicles for small, buttery loaves. (One batch of dough stretches much further this way than the typical two loaves of stollen folded over themselves.)
Every year I intend (at least) to bake vast quantities of fruited loaves on Christmas Eve, then hop in the car and deliver them to people I like, thinking that they might then wind up nibbling them under the tree on Christmas morning. This year I was inspired to bake them early, sharing them in a Herald story and have been nibbling on them all month.
The wee jars are just another reason to give them away, really, but if you can’t get your hands on some, you could go the traditional coffee can route, or make individual ones in buttered muffin tins, or bake the loaf like you would stollen, in a big oval, one side lapped over. Or shape and bake them like hot crossed buns, then dust with icing sugar on top.
And then wrap yourself in the holidays, snuggle with your loved ones, celebrate the people in your life and eat well. And thank you for being here! You’ve been the best part of my year.
Merry Christmas!
Panettone
AuthorJuliePut the warmed milk in a large bowl and sprinkle a big pinch of the sugar and all of the yeast overtop; set aside for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is foamy.
Add the remaining sugar, eggs, orange zest, about half the flour and salt and beat until thick and sticky. Add the remaining flour and the butter, cut into pieces, and beat until the dough is smooth and elastic – it should be tacky, but not overly sticky. Stir or knead in the dry fruit.
Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn the dough to oil all over, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ hours.
Meanwhile, butter 4-6 Weck jars, panettone moulds or a muffin tin. Punch the dough down and pull apart into pieces big enough to come halfway up the jars or tins; loosely cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside for another hour, until the dough rises slightly, making the containers about ¾ full. (Alternatively, slow the rise by refrigerating overnight; leave at room temperature for an hour before baking.)
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the tops with a little beaten egg and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on size, or until deep golden. Cool in the pans on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Makes 2-10 loaves, depending on the size of your jars or pans.
Ingredients
Directions
Put the warmed milk in a large bowl and sprinkle a big pinch of the sugar and all of the yeast overtop; set aside for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is foamy.
Add the remaining sugar, eggs, orange zest, about half the flour and salt and beat until thick and sticky. Add the remaining flour and the butter, cut into pieces, and beat until the dough is smooth and elastic – it should be tacky, but not overly sticky. Stir or knead in the dry fruit.
Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn the dough to oil all over, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ hours.
Meanwhile, butter 4-6 Weck jars, panettone moulds or a muffin tin. Punch the dough down and pull apart into pieces big enough to come halfway up the jars or tins; loosely cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside for another hour, until the dough rises slightly, making the containers about ¾ full. (Alternatively, slow the rise by refrigerating overnight; leave at room temperature for an hour before baking.)
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the tops with a little beaten egg and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on size, or until deep golden. Cool in the pans on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Makes 2-10 loaves, depending on the size of your jars or pans.
I love the individual size of these treats from Italy. Merry Christmas to you and yur family Julie!!
I can’t believe you are still giving us wonderful ideas to make Christmas even more special. This is a beautiful idea. Now put your feet up and no more working!
I understand Weck lust–I’ve been trying to justify buying them for over two years. This may be the deciding moment!
Gorgeous! Love your photos.
I can picture them warm from the oven on Christmas morning – they’d be perfect!
Love the mini sizes! I’ve been seeing Panettone more than usual this year..might have to give it a try next year!
Merry Christmas, Julie! Thank you for another wonderful year of recipes and stories!
This looks Fabulous! And adds a whole new meaning to Pantone for me… Glad to see your own reflection in the shiny decorative balls on the table, for it captures a small picture of what you do year round, sparkling up our world with your culinary creations, sharing ideas with us freely, inspiring us to create our own… and reminds me of a poem by Hafiz…
“Even after all this time the Sun never says to the Earth, “You owe me.”
Look what happens with a Love like that.
It lights the whole sky.”
Thank you for lighting the sky around you throughout the year with your creativity, and reflecting the gift of Light and Love with us all.
Merry Christmas, Julie.
Love and Peace.
C.
Merry Christmas to you & your family Julie! Looking forward to seeing you lots in 2014!
Wishing you and your family the Merriest Christmas and the Happiest New Year may it be filled with good health, love, and joy 🙂
One more wonderful recipe! Thank you Julie.
Julie, this is wonderful. Made a batch tonight after supper, and it was devoured in no time flat.
I have a family member who is celiac. Do you have any suggestions for making these gluten-free?
Thanks,
Kathy
Merry Christmas, Julie and all the best to you and yours in 2014!
P.s. Weck jars? What makes them great?
Thank you for all of your recipes. You are my go to source when I need inspiration.
Julie, this post is gorgeous in every possible way.
Thank you for all you do!
-CSB
p.s. “Anonymous [C]”: you rock.
“OOO GORGEOUS!” is the first thing that springs to my mind when taking a swift peak at your most unctuously yeasty fragranced post. The second thought that springs to mind is “can I please borrow your small child”. He appears to be able to take MUCH better photos of food than I can. I promise to shuffle him back from whence he came as soon as he delivers the goodies and I can finally post a food blog post that I can be proud of. I am sure he would love a holiday in Tasmania? He can take as many photos of our echidna’s, wallabies and various birds as he likes. Cheers for the panettone share. I have been too terrified to toss fruit and butter into the bready action as the plain bread seems to have me bamboozled at the best of times and don’t even TALK about sourdough (aka “vinegar bricks” here on Serendipity Farm that even the possums, who eat green fruit and capers straight from the jar NEAT wouldn’t touch…sigh…).
Can I simply just say what a comfort to
discover someone who truly understands what they are discussing over the internet.
You actually understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important.
A lot more people ought to look at this and understand this side of your story.
I can’t believe you are not more popular since you most certainly have the gift.
Oops, wrong recipe…I thought I was on the Christmas Crack page.
I made them this afternoon. They’ll be for breakfast tomorrow.
Thank you for another awesome recipe.
Happy, Happy New Year !
Teeny tiny panettone! I want to put them in my lunchbox for an afternoon snack at work!
Could I using canning jars instead? I live aboard a sailboat and my baking supplies are limited and am hoping to use what I have. Thanks for all the great recipes! Merry Christmas!