Christmas Italian Recipe: Milanese Panettone
Ah, the festive season, there’s no better season than to splurge in new recipes. Today, we will be looking at ‘Panettone’ - the ultimate Italian Christmas bread (just one of the few famous Italian desserts for the Winter!). This delicious treat was invented in the same province our Alpine Hotel is from, in the city of Milan. But all over Italy, this bread is highly appreciated, especially during the holidays. It’s so popular that it is estimated that two-and-a-half Panettone is consumed per Italian family, per year.
WHAT IS IT?
“AN ITALIAN CHRISTMAS TRADITION”
Panettone is an Italian Christmas Tradition, and many families all across the country indulge in this fruity delight. It is made out of simple ingredients which includes flour, dried citrus and vanilla. If you stroll through any Italian supermarket, you will find shelves lined with bright, decorative boxes of Panettone. This tradition of Panettone dates back for centuries, all the way to the Medieval ages. This means that countless generations of Italian families have been enjoying this treat every festive season; however, it can also be eaten at any time of the year. This cake isn’t only famous in Italy, but it is also loved by many other places, particularly the majority of the European continent.
THE HISTORY
“MANY DIFFERENT THEORIES”
The origin of Panettone is somewhat of a mystery. There are so many theories to how this fruity bread came about, but one thing’s for sure, it is seen as a Northern Italian invention by the Milanese. There is a well-known story about a nobleman named Ughetto, who fell in love with Adalgisa, who was the daughter of a baker. To impress her, he disguised as a young baker and created a bread which had raisins and candied fruits, as well as a mixture of butter and sugar. Eventually, the bread became so popular, and the town absolutely loved it, so it was no surprise that Adalgisa became so impressed. Soon enough, her father approved Ughetto and allowed them to marry.
The next theory is set in the 15th-century court of Ludovico. For a Christmas celebration, the head chef was expected to bake a dessert, worthy enough to impress the noble guests. However, the chef accidentally burns the cake and immediately ends up in a state of panic. But then, the scullery boy named ‘Toni’ approached the chef and offered a recipe he invented made out of leftover ingredients. As the chef had no choice but to oblige, he agreed with the plan and created the fruity bread. Soon, they presented it at dinner, and amazingly, all the guests were impressed by the creation. The chef was so thankful that he credited the bread to ‘Toni’, hence the name of Panettone similar to ‘Pan di Toni’ (Toni’s bread)
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup warm milk
2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast
½ cup caster sugar
¾ cup butter, softened
5 medium eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Grated zest of 1 orange
3 cups white bread flour
½ cup raisins
½ cup sultanas
3 tbsp dark rum
½ cup candied lemon/orange peel
METHOD
Grease the panettone tin.
Pour the warm milk in a bowl, add the yeast and 1 tsp sugar together and leave it for 1 minute.
Add the remaining sugar in the bowl and mix it in with the butter and vanilla extract, until creamy and pale.
Stir in the lemon and orange zest, then add the beaten eggs one at a time until it’s well incorporated in the mix. If the mixture starts to get lumpy, then place a tbsp of flour and beat it in with an egg.
Tilt the flour into a bowl and mix it in with a pinch of salt, creating a well in the centre. Add the yeast, butter and egg mixture, and fold the mixture until it forms a dough. Keep kneading the dough, making sure all the ingredients are combined.
Keep kneading and dusting your surface with flour for about 10 minutes until the dough turns light and stretchy. Once done, place the dough in a greased bowl and leave it to rise for up to 3 hours until it has doubled in size.
Put the raisins and sultanas in a pan, increasing the heat. Then, pour the dark rum and stir for a few minutes until the fruits have absorbed the liquid. Once done, set it aside to cool.
Once the dough has risen, take it out of the bowl and place it on a floured surface. Knead the sultanas, raisins and candied fruits until evenly spread throughout the dough.
Place the dough in the panettone tin that has been lined with parchment paper. Put cling film on top and let the dough rise for another hour.
Preheat the oven to about 180 degrees celsius, once warm, place the tin in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Once it’s done, let the bread cool and start cutting it into wedges to serve.
Why not stay at Albergo Miramonti? We are located within the Italian Alps, with a Hotel Spa, relaxing Cigar Lounge and an Italian Restaurant that serves local Valtellina Cuisine.
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