 |
Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 55 Minutes |
Ready In: 55 Minutes Servings: 10 |
|
This traditional Italian holiday bread will stay fresh longer when it's made with an overnight starter Ingredients:
biga (overnight starter) |
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour |
1/16 teaspoon yeast (just a pinch) |
1/3 cup water |
dough |
all of the biga (above) |
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour |
1/4 cup water |
2 eggs |
4 tablespoons butter |
1 1/4 teaspoons salt |
1/2 teaspoon fiori di sicilia flavoring or 1 teaspoon vanilla + 1/8 teaspoon orange oil |
2 1/4 teaspoons fermipan brown yeast (special for sweet breads) or 1 tablespoon instant yeast |
1/3 cup sugar |
1/2 cup golden raisins |
1/2 cup slivered dried apricots |
1/2 cup dried cranberries or flavored fruit bits |
1/2 cup dried pineapple, chopped |
2 tablespoons orange or lemon zest |
Directions:
1. Biga:
2. Combine the biga ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl, cover, and allow them to rest overnight (8 to 12 hours).
3. Dough:
4. Combine all of the dough ingredients except the fruit, and mix and knead them together - by hand, mixer or bread machine - till you've made a soft, smooth dough. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it's puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk). Gently deflate the dough, and knead in the fruits and zest.
5. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a panettone pan or other straight-sided, tall 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan. Cover the pan and let the dough rise till it's just crested over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour.
6. Bake the bread in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 minutes; reduce the oven heat to 375°F and bake an additional 10 minutes; then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for 25 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil if the crust appears to be browning too quickly. Remove the panettone from the oven and cool completely.
|
|