Panettone Di Milano Recipes

Steps:

• This cake should be started the day before the actual baking (or very early on the same day).
• Sift and measure flour.
• Blend yeast with 2 teaspoons warm water and let stand 5 minutes.
• Add yeast mixture to 1/2 cup flour and mix well.
• Make a little ball of dough out of the flour/yeast mixture.
• Place the dough in a bowl, in a warm place for 2 hours.
• When ball of dough has doubled in size, place 2 cups pastry flour on a pasty board, place yeast dough in the middle, add enough lukewarm water to make a soft pliable ball and knead carefully.
• Cover well and let stand in a warm place for 3 hours.
• Place 1 cup pastry flour on board, add yeast dough and enough lukewarm water to make a soft pliable ball of dough and knead well.
• Let stand in warm place for 2 hours.
• When dough has risen again, place 1 1/2 cups flour on pastry board, add dough, salt and melted butter and knead together well.
• Beat together egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar and 1/2 cup lukewarm water.
• Beat until frothy.
• Add to dough a little at a time, kneading constantly until everything is well absorbed.
• Add raisins and peel and knead well to distribute fruit evenly.
• You can make 1 large panettone, or loaf, or 2 small ones.
• If you wish to make two, divide dough in half and shape.
• Let the shaped dough rise in a warm place for 4 to 6 hours (depending on the heat in your kitchen).
• The loaf or loaves should be double their original size, and the dough should be very soft to the touch.
• Make a cross mark with a sharp knife on the top of each loaf, and place loaf on buttered paper on a baking sheet.
• Place in a preheated, hot oven (400°F) for 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven quickly, and place a 1/2 tablespoon butter* in the center of the cross mark; (*if making 2 loaves, use 1/4 Tablespoon in each loaf).
• Return to oven and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
• Lower heat to 375°F, and continue baking 45 minutes, or longer, depending on the size of the loaf.
• Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
• This cake keeps fresh a long time, stored in a plastic bag.
• Its not necessary to keep it refrigerated.

Steps:

• Soak raisins in rum and 2 tablespoons hot water till plump.
• Mix flour, sugar, salt, yeast, zest and vanilla bean in mixer on low speed until combined.
• Whisk the eggs, remaining water and honey together.
• With mixer at low speed pour in egg mixer into the flour mixture. Increase speed to medium-low to combine.
• Add 12 tablespoons butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing till all is incorporated increasing speed to med-high. Mix for 8-10 minutes till dough is smooth and elastic.
• Meanwhile drain raisins and combine with melted butter.
• Crumble marzipan.
• Stir in the raisins and marzipan.
• Place dough including vanilla bean in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let rise till triple in volume about 12-15 hours in a draft free place. Oven is perfect for this. Overnight is ideal.
• Punch down and remove bean be sure to remove any of the seeds and mix into the dough, discarding the pods.
• On a work surface or sil pad dusted with flour place the dough. Dust the dough. Fold the edges into the center placing seam side down into a panettone mold, clean and dried generously buttered coffee can or a generously buttered bundt pan. Cover with a damp linen towel. NO terry towels! Let rise in a warm draft free spot for 5 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack lower 3rd of oven.
• Place mold on a cookie sheet pan. Using a sharp knife mark the raised dough with an X one inch deep and place the chilled butter into it.
• Bake till toothpick comes out slightly moist NOT wet. About 1 hour at this point it should be very dark.
• Cool completely before cutting.