Panettone, an Italian Christmas Sweet Bread a not too sweet yeast bread, filled with raisins, candied fruit or Chocolate Chips. A delicious way to celebrate the Holidays.
Panettone
Panettone, this is a much easier and quicker Italian Christmas Sweet Bread Recipe to make, everyone will love it.
Every time we head into the Fall months and Christmas is just around the corner, the Italian asks “why don’t you make a Homemade Panettone”.
Every year I think forget it, 3 days to make something that I can buy in a store? No I don’t think so. And then a friend of mine gave me this Panettone Recipe, so much easier and faster she said, you will love it.
Actually she gave it to me about five years ago, but I just started making it a couple of years ago.
And this year, i decided to share it on the blog. It is amazing! Seriously, better than store bought.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy I shared it with a few friends and the next day one of the friends came back asking for another piece!
Panettone should be eaten in 2-3 days but this was gone in a day. Nowadays you can buy it with raisins, or candied fruit or even Chocolate Chips, and yes Chocolate Chips was my choice for this one.
More Delicious Christmas Recipes
Easy Christmas Morning Sweet Recipe
Mom’s Best Christmas Cookies and Bars
What you will need to make this Homemade Panettone
Mixer – I have a mixer that will knead bread, but my dream mixer is this one.
Mold – I use a very tall cake Pan which is about 6 inches tall but these molds are very good too.
Flour – If you want to make bread you are going to need flour!
Active Dry Yeast – I prefer this to cake yeast which is very popular here.
Panettone Italian Christmas Sweet Bread
I will definitely make it again. Probably with candied fruit and raisins, and make my husband happy and again with Chocolate Chips one more time to make the rest of us happy.
In Italy you know it is Christmas when the stores and bakeries are overflowing with Panettone, Pandoro and Torrone.
And of course every Italian has their preference whether it be a tasty Panettone filled with candied fruits or raisins or a delicious Pandora which is more cake like and dusted with powdered sugar.
I remember my first Christmas here and after our huge Christmas lunch, out would come the nuts, big slices of Pandoro and Panettone, chunks of Torrone, Chocolate and Nougat,
olives and of course my personal favourite bowls of Lupini, or Lupin Beans.
Personally I always preferred Pandora but when I discovered they also made a Panettone with Chocolate Chips I was hooked.
This is the perfect recipe to make on the weekend, you will probably need about 3-4 hours just for the rising time. If you have never made a yeast dough before, this is the most delicious thing to start with. Enjoy!
Panettone Italian Christmas Sweet Bread
Ingredients
PANETTONE
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour (sifted) (415 grams)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (75 grams)
- 2/3 cup water (lukewarm) (156 grams)
- 1/2 cup butter (room temperature/cut into small pieces) (112 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
- zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup mini dark chocolate chips, raisins* or candied fruit or a mixture (180 grams)
*Plump raisins up by sitting them in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain.
TOPPING
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon almond flour (30 grams)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar (78 grams)
- 1 egg white
- powdered / icing sugar for dusting
- 1/4 cup skinned whole almonds (more if desired) (35 grams)
Instructions
PANETTONE
- In the bowl of the mixer with the paddle attached, add sifted flour, in the center add yeast, sugar, butter, eggs, yolk, zest, vanilla and half the water. Mix 20 seconds, then change to the dough hook and add the other half of the water and salt.
- Mix for 15- 20 minutes, stopping after 10 minutes to scrape the hook and bowl.
- After 20 minutes add either the raisins, candied fruit or chocolate chips (or even a mixture if you wish) mix on low for a couple of minutes until combined.
- Remove to a flat lightly floured board, lightly rub hand with butter and gather the dough into a ball. Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic and a dish towel. Place in a draft free, warmish spot to rise. Let rise for 2-3 hours or until tripled in size.
- Once risen, move back to a lightly floured flat surface, with hands lightly buttered and roll again into a ball, place in greased Panettone mold, cover with plastic and dish towel and let rise for an hour.
TOPPING
- In a small/medium bowl mix together almond flour, cornstarch, sugar and egg white. Set aside.
- Pre-heat oven to 365°.
- Carefully brush risen Panettone with topping (I didn't use it all) top with almonds and sprinkle with icing / powdered sugar. Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes using a toothpick for doneness. Move to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.** Enjoy!
- ** No need to remove from the paper mold just cut through it.** I used an 8.5 x 4.5 inch cake pan, or a 750 gram paper molds are fine too.Keeps for 3 days well covered.
Fatima Sinapi says
Lovely recipe..simple and looks authentic..still too warm to eat, but it smells heavenly!.Wish I could post a picture
Rosemary says
Hi Fatima, thanks so much. Happy New Year.
Colleen says
Rosemary..I know what mean about the pannetone overflowing in Italy at Xmas. My husband and I were living in Milan in 2018 (he was working there) and his employer bought everyone each a “high end” pannetone for Xmas. I wish I could remember the name, but the bakery actually wasn’t very far from our apt. I had never tasted a pannetone as wonderful as that! Nothing compared to the store bought one’s here in Canada. I notice that this is a post from last year. Did you ever make the one with the dried fruit in it? That is the recipe I would like, if you happen to have it?? Also, when you say put the dough in the pannetone mold, what exactly are you using? Thanks so much for sharing this!
Rosemary says
Hi Colleen, thanks so much, I usually make it with chocolate chips, but it is the same recipe just substitute with dried fruit. Probably a deep 8 inch cake pan or a large panettone paper mold (available on amazon – 2 12 ounce ones would be fine) would work. Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes.
Colleen says
Thank so much, Rosemary! I am going to look up the paper molds on Amazon right now. I noticed in the Amazon picture that it looked like there were holes in the bottom of them. Do you think it would need to be placed on a baking sheet in the oven?
Rosemary says
Hi Colleen, You’re welcome. I don’t remember there being holes, I don’t think it needs to be put on a baking sheet, it’s a dough and not batter so it should be fine. Let me know how it goes.
Bonniew says
Hi Rosemary, I would like to know if I can freeze this bread?
Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Rosemary says
Hi Bonnie, yes you can freeze it, make sure it is completely cooled, wrap it well a couple of times in plastic then again in foil and then place it in a freezer safe air tight bag or container. You could also do the same way with slices (be sure to cut them thicker rather than thin) if you wanted. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Hope that helps. Glad you like the recipes.
Kayla says
I love this the bread tastes Soo good
Rosemary says
Hi Kayla, thanks so much, so glad you like it. Take care.
Mary Kehayas says
I made this today. It is not as light as store bought panettone. I found it a bit heavy. Made it exactly as per the recipe. My husband said the taste is fine. Any suggestions in how to make it lighter and more airy.
Rosemary says
Hi Mary, could be that you didn’t knead it enough or let it rise long enough. Store bought will be lighter because they use additives. Hope that helps.
eMLmain says
Looks very tasty!
I am sure it also is very tasty.
Rosemary says
Thank you it is very good. 🙂
Diana Landivar says
Hi Rosemary!
If I have King Arthur Bread flour can I replace the All Purpose flour? If so, would it be the same ratio?
Thank you!
Diana
Rosemary says
Hi Diana, yes you can use bread flour it is a 1 for 1 ratio. Happy New Year.
Cindi says
HI Rosemary. I just wanted to send you a ‘thank you’. I tried your recipe and it came out great. So authentic and all in a half day rather than 2 to 3 days as some other recipes demand. Merry Christmas and again, a big thank you! We loved it!
Rosemary says
Hi Cindi, thanks so much, so glad you all enjoyed it. Merry Christmas to you too!
Charlotte says
Hi I’ve made this recipe twice and love it. I have one problem my topping is always to thick (paste like). I don’t have almond flour so I use coconut flour. Is it the flour?
Rosemary says
Hi Charlotte, glad you like the recipe. It could be the coconut flour, maybe try using half the flour instead or you can just leave it out and dust with powdered sugar instead. Merry Christmas.
katie says
I know I’m coming to the came late, but it is absolutely the coconut flout. Coconut flour doesn’t behave like nut or AP flour at all. It absorbs so much more liquid than other flours. Best stick to the recipe on this one! I have made this recipe in years past and look forward to making it again (I shake things up and make mine for NYE). Great recipe -thanks 🙂
(Side note, I use a variety of dried fruits and soak them in rum for a couple hours (up to a couple days) before baking. Omg – so good.)
Anna says
I just made this recipe with chocolate chips and it turned out beautifully! I have been so hesitant to make a panettone up until now. I used an aluminum panettone mold and followed the instructions as written. The result was a perfect and tasty panettone! This one is family approved! Next time I will try it with dried fruit. Thank you for sharing the recipe with us!
Rosemary says
Hi Anna, thanks so much, so glad you an your family liked it. Yes chocolate chips are my favourite, although my husband prefer dried fruit. Merry Christmas.
Angela says
I made this panettone twice now! It rises twice no problem! But when I bake it sinks on one side🤷🏻♀️
Rosemary says
Hi Angela, it could be your oven temperature is off or you are letting the dough rise too much before baking. Let me know.
Diana Billard says
a baking together day. We had so much fun following you a recipe. The bread tastes delicious but we found that it did not rise during the baking. It Rose beautifully the 3 hours and then after putting it in the pan it raised an hour look lovely when we baked it it did not go up it went sideways. We used active yeast should we have used rapid yeast? I tried it a second time thinking that I didn’t put enough of the dough in the pan. So the second time I made it I put more of the dough in the pan. It still did not rise during the baking. Any suggestions on how to get it to rise?
Rosemary says
Hi Diana, I don’t understand how it went sideways, what did you bake it in?