| Panettone Milanese (from Nick Malgieri's Great Italian Desserts
cookbook)
SPONGE:
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 envelopes active dry yeast or 1 oz. compressed yeast
1 cup all purpose flour
DOUGH:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspooon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dark rum
6 large eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup candied orange peel, rinsed and diced
3/4 cup dark raisins
3/4 cup golden raisins
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, for finishing
For the sponge, heat the milk to lukewarm, whisk in the yeast, and stir
the yeast mixture into the flour. Cover and allow to ferment at room
temperature for about 45 minutes, until almost tripled in volume.
For the dough, beat the butter with the salt and sugar until light.
Add the flavorings and beat til smooth. Add eggs, then continue
beating until the mixture is emulsified and smooth and looks like
buttercream. If the mixture remains curdled, warm the bottom of the
mixing bowl in a pan of warm water for a second or two and continue
beating ; rewarm the bowl as necessary until the mixture is smooth.
Add one third of the flour and mix in, then another 2 eggs. Repeat with
another third of the flour, the last 2 eggs, and the last third of the
flour. Beat in the sponge and beat the dough until smooth.
Mix in the candied peel and the raisins just until incorporated. Place
the dough in a buttered bowl and allow to ferment until double, up to 2
hours.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and deflate by folding it over
itself several times. Divide the dough into 2 pieces ans shape each
into a ball. Place each piece in a well buttered 2 to 2 1/4 quart
charlotte mold or other straight sided mold. Cover loosely and allow
to proof until they both rise to the top of the mold, about 2 hours.
Slash an X in the top of each panettone with buttered scissors and bake
at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes. Unmold immediately and paint all
over with melted butter. Cool an a rack.
Double wrap each panettone in plastic and store in the refrigerator.
Bring to room temperature before serving.
NOTE:
I usually will pour some extra dark rum over the raisins and soak them
for an hour before I start the process of making the panettone. I like
to substitute orange flavoring or a couple of drops of orange oil for
the vanilla to give it more of an orangey flavor.
Good luck and let me know how it turns out.
Like I said, I could never get it as light and airy as the name brand
ones (Perugina and Motta), but for homemade it comes close. I made
this last Christmas and my father-in-law, who is from Italy thought
that it was very good homemade panettone and as close to the brand name
ones that he has had. Now, I am thinking of that Perugina panettone
that I have sitting on my kitchen table. It makes me want to run home
and eat the whole thing all by myself.
Julie
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| Re: .3
Thanks a lot Julie, for your recipe!
> Good luck and let me know how it turns out.
You bet! As soon as we will have any results, you'll hear from us.
> Now, I am thinking of that Perugina panettone
> that I have sitting on my kitchen table. It makes me want to run home
> and eat the whole thing all by myself.
I'll run to my doctor: I became green of envy. Pannettone is not
imported here.
Grazie tante, and Happy New Year (a little bit early)
Juan-Carlos
|
| Re: .3
Hi Julie:
Though it took sometime to make it (and more to write about it) this is
the result of our (my wife and mine) "test drive" for the panettone.
We changed a little bit the proportions of lemon zest (about the peel
of one lemon) and added the peel of one orange. Thsi gave the panettone
a very nice orange flavour.
However, the cake was not as sweet as the commercial panettone and the
colour of the cake was whitish, not as yellow as I remember and, as well,
much drier than commercial ones.
I believe that for this amount of dough, you should have one to one and a
half cups sugar, perhaps some colouring - and less cooking than we did.
In any case, it was a very, _very_ good beginning, and very good for
New Year.
Thanks.
Juan-Carlos
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