We reach Italy, following the scent of this sweet bread.

Once again we reach Italy together. We made our first trip with polenta, today we are in Italy with the Panettone recipe :)

A very fluffy bread/cake type panettone recipe that is baked once a year as a Christmas classic due to its laboriousness. Making the bread, which is consumed frequently in Italy and its surroundings, requires patience. Sugary and dry yeast dough is rested for a long time at suitable temperatures and fermented. It turns into a delicious bread with lots of candied oranges along with eggs, butter and raisins. We thought that there would be people who would like to make the bread, which requires mastery and has become a tradition for centuries, at home before the New Year. I would like to say that the ingredients in this rich bread also have symbolic meanings. Raisins mean money, candied oranges mean love, and lemon peel mean eternal health.

Panettone is a high round sweet bread speckled with raisins, citrus and almonds with a plush, buttery texture popular both here and throughout Italy during the winter holidays.

There are multiple facts about Panettone. I have researched the question of what is Panettone in detail and I am here with a wide content.

Makes a dramatic Christmas dessert or breakfast treat. Its Milanese origins date back to the Renaissance, when wheat was said to be very scarce and valuable and only made at Christmas.

These days, beautifully wrapped versions of this long, round cake seem to be appearing just about everywhere in Italian and even casual grocery stores in December. These editions vary in quality; many of them are more repulsive with artificial flavors.

What is Panettone? Is it Dessert, Bread or Cake?

There are two different stories about Panettone. When you ask the Italians, they tell them through these two stories, but the thesis they defend is the second story. I will write both stories, but what is certain is that Panettone was found in the Middle Ages in the 15th century. It is also consumed at Christmas time. It has become widespread in countries such as Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Latin America and Australia. French and Spanish colonies were involved in this expansion.

There are a couple of stories about Panettone Sweet Bread, but I think the story accepted by the Italians is as follows; Ludovico il Moro was an italian renaissance prince who reigned as duke of Milan since 1499. While the duchess of dreams were flying in the air, one of the cooks burned the dessert that he had thrown in the oven, in a night attended by the nobles prepared for Christmas. Kitchen boy and insignificant Toni's main job is to help the cooks. Bring what we know. But after Toni saw this incident, she started kneading with sugar, eggs, raisins and candied fruit to soften the yeast she had set aside for pre-made. He also added the leftover fruits from the cellar. Afterwards, they brought this sweet bread to the presence of the duke. Meanwhile, Toni watches the Duke and his noble guests from behind the curtain. The Duke said that he was very pleased after tasting it and that he wanted to meet the cook who did it. At the same time, he invited this cook to reward him. But our boy Toni isn't even a cook. He's just a chef's apprentice. He appeared before Ludovico il Moro and said that it should be called "pan del toni" from now on. It is also known as Toni's sweet bread. Buddha is the story you will hear most often from Italians.

Spreading in this way after the 15th century, it is now popular all over the world as Christmas Sweet Bread. In some of the articles I read, it is written on New Year's Day, but this is not true. It is a Christmas dessert that is celebrated on the 25th of December every year. Apart from the bread eaten every day, Panettone specific to that day is taken and eaten. The dessert, which Toni accidentally brought to such popularity, has now become a food that millions eat on Christmas Day. At the same time, it is a sweet bread that is eaten in celebrations. Of course, since it is very popular, it has become a bread or cake that is always found today. It has ceased to be bread eaten only during Christmas. I think the best answer to the question of what is panettone can be sweet bread.

How to Make Panettone Recipe?

Take the raisins from which you have removed the stems in a deep bowl. Wet it with hot water and freshly squeezed orange juice and keep it aside to swell.

Mix the solid ingredients, sifted flour, granulated sugar, dry yeast, grated lemon peel and salt in a bowl.

Mix the egg, warm water and honey in a separate bowl with a mixer. When the liquid ingredients get a homogeneous mixture, reduce the whisking degree and add the flour mixture little by little, then continue the mixing process.

Add 4 tablespoons of soft butter little by little and continue whisking until you get a flexible and soft dough.

Drain the excess water from the raisins that have been soaked in water and swelled well. Stir in the dried fruit mixture and remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the mixture you have obtained to the dough and use a wooden spoon to help Mix it until it's incorporated.

Take the dried fruit bread dough you have obtained in a deep bowl, cover it with cling film and leave it at room temperature for 12 hours.

At the end of the time, knead the dough, which reaches almost three times the dough height, with small movements. On a lightly floured kitchen counter, take its air and bake it 12-15 cm. in diameter, 15-20 cm. Place in a mold high. Cover it with a slightly damp kitchen cloth and leave it for another 2-3 hours at room temperature for the process we call tray yeast.

When the dough rises to the surface of the mold in the specified dimensions, transfer the mold to a large baking tray. Lower the baking wire a level or two, keeping in mind the height of the dough.

Draw a shape on the dough and place cold butter in the middle. Gently push inwards. Bake in a preheated 180 degree oven for about 75 minutes until it has a dark crust.

At the end of the cooking time, carefully remove the panettone from the mold, lay it on its side on the wire rack and cool it by turning it in between. Share it with your loved ones after slicing.