Panettone - Part Two

I started the day by taking out the dough that has been rising in the fridge overnight. It's time to split it in half and it takes a sharp knife to cut through this heavy, rich dough. This isn't your fluffy, light, deflate when touch it type of dough. No, no. This is solid with all that butter (3 sticks) now cold and holding it all together.

Let it rest at room temperature for about an hour and a half. During that time I soaked 1 2/3 cups golden raisins for 30 minutes, patted them dry and added them to 1 cup candied orange (I used pineapple instead) and the zest of a fresh lemon and orange.  The dough becomes softer and pliable after it rest and feels great as I pat it out to an oval shape.  

Sprinkle the fruit and press it into the dough, then roll it up, pat it out again and repeat with the fruit. When that is done, tuck the edges underneath and form into a ball.

Now we need another 2 hours to rest and rise. I'll be baking these free form, like they did before they invented the nifty paper molds you can get on-line.  That is, you can use the paper molds if you order them in advance to having an urge to experiment with making your first panettone ever. I didn't have the time to wait. I'm waiting enough with all the rising, resting, rising, resting...Let's get to baking!

Ta-da! Baked, sliced and oh, so yummy. This bread is crusty sweet, and rich! I can see where the cylindrical paper molds would make it taller and light, but there is no denying the flavor in this bread.

 

It took the two days from start to finish but this breadaholic got through a recipe rated difficult without any real hitches along the way. It was a process, it was a little challenging, but it was what I was looking forward to doing. Sometimes, even if you are not sure the outcome, you just have to put in the work and go for it. 

TT