Classic Italian Christmas Panettone

Prepare the Fruit

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Put all of the dried and candied fruits—10 ounces mixed dried fruits, 4 ounces finely chopped candied lemon peel and orange peel, and 2 ounces glace or candied cherries (quartered)—into a bowl and mix thoroughly.

3. Pour in 6 tablespoons Cointreau, mix again.

4. Cover, and store in a cool dark place overnight. Do not refrigerate.

Prepare the Dough

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. In a heatproof jug or bowl, sprinkle the 1 1/2 tablespoons fast-acting dry yeast over 5 ounces of warmed milk. Reserve the remaining ounce of milk in the fridge. Stir in 1.75 ounces (1/4 cup) sugar, and leave to one side for 5 minutes.

3. Tip 18 ounces (or 4 cups) strong bread flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon fine salt into one side of the bowl. Pour in the frothy yeast mixture onto the other side—salt should never come into direct contact with dry or fresh yeast as it will kill the yeast, making the bread dense and hard.

4. Mix at a slow speed to combine the ingredients. Add 5 of the eggs, turn the mixer to medium speed, and continue mixing until the dough smooths out, although it will become sticky.

5. Cut 9 ounces of the softened butter into bite-sized chunks. Raise the speed of the mixer and add the butter a few pieces at a time.

6. Let the mixer continue to run for at least 5 more minutes. The dough will turn glossy and even smoother and so soft and airy that it will be impossible to handle. This is the texture that you're looking for.

7. Grease a large baking bowl or dish with 1/2 ounce of the remaining butter. To retain the maximum amount of air, let the dough slide down into the greased bowl by its own weight. Do not force it out.

8. Scrape down any leftover dough with a soft spatula. Cover the greased bowl with a lid or tightly with plastic wrap and put it into a very cool place, preferably the fridge, and leave to proof overnight—the cold, long, slow rise will deliver the lightest of cakes. Slow is always better, and the result is a light and airy cake with a soft crumb.

Make the Panettone

1. Place dough on a floured work surface and spread out into a rectangular shape.

2. Strain the soaked fruits through a fine sieve, discard the juice. Place half of the fruits onto the spread-out dough.

3. Fold the dough over the fruits and lightly roll the dough around to evenly distribute the fruit. Spread the dough again and repeat as before with the remaining fruit. The dough will be lumpy and knobbly, but look out for clusters of fruit and give them another roll around to redistribute it, if needed.

4. Form the dough into a roughly shaped ball.

5. Grease a 7-inch panettone tin or panettone paper case with the remaining 1/2 ounce of butter. If you are using a regular cake tin, line the base and sides with greaseproof paper standing at least 2 inches above the rim before greasing it.

6. Drop the dough into the center of the tin, tuck 1 ounce blanched whole almonds into the surface of the cake, and cover loosely with a tea cloth. 

7. Proof the cake in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours until the dough is well risen and rising above the tin. If 3 hours isn't enough, give it enough time: The key here is to have the rise above the rim of the tin or case.

8. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

9. Mix the remaining 1 egg with the remaining ounce of milk and brush over the surface of the cake. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 300 F and cook for a further 45 to 55 minutes. The panettone is ready when a skewer comes out clean from the middle part of the cake.

10. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes in the tin on a cooling rack, then remove and leave it to cool completely.

    How to Store and Freeze Panettone

    The cake is delicious eaten fresh and keeps well in an airtight tin for a week at room temperature. It also freezes well for up to two months. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator overnight and slightly warm up in the oven, avoiding crisping up the bread.

    Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

    • Swap out the Cointreau—Soaking the fruit in Cointreau or any liqueur of your liking enhances the flavor of the cake. But even without it, the panettone will be delicious. If alcohol is not your thing, or the cake is for children, then substitute orange or apple juice for the Cointreau.
    • Switch up the fruits—Our recipe is for the classic combination of fruits and thereby flavor. You can choose the fruits in any proportion you prefer, or avoid one or more altogether.
    • Vary the nuts—Switch out the almonds on the top of the cake for walnuts or cashews. Or leave out the nuts altogether and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
    • Add some chocolate—Although not a part of the classic recipe, chocolate complement the fruity flavor of the cake really well. If chocolate is your thing, add 3/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips at the same time you incorporate the dried fruit.