Authentic Panettone (adapted from SFBI formula)

Panettone
(adapted from SFBI formula)
Yield: about 1500 g (3 loaves)

Time (assumes you are starting with a mature stiff starter):
• Build the starter: 12 hours, at 4-hour intervals
• Mix and ferment first dough: 12.5 hours
• Mix final dough: 30 minutes
• First fermentation of final dough: 1 hour, with a fold at 30 minutes
• Divide, rest, and shape: 25 minutes
• Proof: 4 – 6 hours at 80F, or about 12 hours at room temperature
• Bake: about 40 minutes
• Hang/cool: several hours
Desired final dough temperature: 74F

Sweet Starter Ingredients:
• 20 g stiff (50% hydration) sourdough starter
• 80 g flour, divided
• 40 g water, divided

First Dough Ingredients:
• 346 g flour
• 190 g water
• 1 g instant yeast (osmotolerant SAF Gold, if possible)
• 83 g sugar
• 55 g egg yolk
• 7 g diastatic malt powder
• 83 g unsalted butter, softened
• 86 g sweet starter

Final Dough Ingredients:
• 82 g flour
• 114 g water (you may not use it all)
• 5 g salt
• 82 g sugar
• 25 g egg yolk
• 126 g unsalted butter, softened
• 19 g honey
• 126 g raisins
• 44 g candied lemon peel
• 126 g candied orange peel
• All of the first dough
• scraped seeds from 4/5 of a vanilla bean (use the other 1/5 for the glaze)
• Zest of half a medium orange

Special Supplies:
• three 5-1/4-inch paper panettone molds
• six bamboo skewers

Method:
1. To build the sweet starter: Mix 20 g stiff starter, 20 g flour, and 10 g water. Ferment for 4 hours at 85F. Discard all but 20 g of starter, and repeat the feeding a second time. For the third feeding, start with 40 g of starter, add 40 g of flour and 20 g of water, and again ferment for 4 hours. Scale out the amount needed for the first dough.

2. Mix all of the first dough ingredients just until combined. Place the dough in a covered, lightly oiled container and ferment for 12 hours at warm room temperature (about 72F).

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt, egg yolks, orange zest, vanilla seeds, first dough, and half the water. Mix in low speed until the ingredients are just combined, about 3 minutes.

4. Turn the mixer to medium speed if it has one, mix for a minute or two, then continue to mix while slowly adding the sugar, in about 5 or 6 increments. Mix for one to two minutes between additions.

5. Continue to mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the gluten is almost fully developed.

6. Turn the mixer back to low speed and add the butter. Mix for a minute in low speed, then in medium speed until the butter is completely incorporated into the dough and the gluten has reached full development.

7. In low speed, add the honey, and enough of the remaining water to give you a very soft dough.

8. In low speed, add the raisins and candied peels, mixing just until they are evenly distributed.

9. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container (preferably a low, wide one, to facilitate folding).

10. Ferment at warm room temperature for one hour, folding the dough after the first 30 minutes.

11. Turn the dough onto a buttered surface. Divide the dough into three pieces, and form each piece into a light ball.

12. Allow the balls to rest (may be left uncovered) for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, skewer the molds
as shown above.

13. Shape the dough into tight balls and place into the skewered molds.

14. Proof at 80F for 4 – 6 hours (or about 12 hours at room temperature), until the dough is risen to an inch or so below the top of the molds.

15. When the dough is nearly fully proofed, preheat the oven to 350F, with the rack in the lower third of the oven. If the loaves have been proofing in the oven, make sure to remove them before preheating!

16. Optional step: To mix the glaze, whisk all ingredients together. Pour, brush, or pipe the glaze evenly onto the top of the loaves (don’t worry if it pools where the dough meets the mold). Sift powdered sugar over the tops, then sprinkle with pearl sugar and a few whole blanched almonds.

17. If you leave the panettone unglazed, use scissors snip an X into the top of the loaf and tuck a pat of butter inside.

18. Place the loaves directly on the oven rack and bake for about 35 – 40 minutes, until the tops are dark brown and the internal temperature is 185F. If the tops are already quite dark after 25 – 30 minutes, turn the heat down to 325F.

19. While the panettone is baking, set up your hanging apparatus (see above). When the bread is done, hang them as quickly as possible.

20. Allow the panettone to hang for at least four hours, up to overnight.