Italian Christmas Bread

Name: Italian Christmas Bread (Panettone)
Yield: Serves a dozen, more or less
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ½ oz / 15 g fresh yeast (half quantity if dried); About a wineglassful warm water; ½ cup / 100 g sugar; 12 egg yolks (make meringues with the whites); 12 egg yolks (make meringues with the whites); 1½ sticks / 150 g unsalted butter, melted; A pinch salt; 3 cups / 450 g white bread flour; Grated zest of 2 lemons and 2 oranges; Grated zest of 2 lemons and 2 oranges; ⅔ cup / 100 g golden raisins, soaked overnight in grappa or brandy; ⅔ cup / 100 g golden raisins, soaked overnight in grappa or brandy; ⅔ cup / 100 g golden raisins, soaked overnight in grappa or brandy; 1 egg yolk

Panettone

Preparation info

Serves
a dozen
more or less

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Sacred Food

By Elisabeth Luard

Published 2001

About

Originally North Italian, this Christmas bread is now a popular addition to the festive table throughout Italy. Very light and delicious, a good keeper, it makes a great bread-and-butter pudding and delectable French toast. What more could you ask?

Ingredients

½ oz / 15 g fresh yeast (half quantity if dried)
About a wineglassful

Europe
Italy
Bread
Vegetarian
Christmas

Method

Dissolve the yeast in a couple of tablespoons of the warm water and a pinch of sugar. Put the egg yolks, the rest of the water, and the yeasty mixture into the bowl of a mixer, and combine. Add the remaining sugar, the melted butter, salt, and half the flour. Work it to a paste. Add the remaining flour, and work until it forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured board and wo