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Friday 19 December 2008

Italian Christmas Sweet Bread ~ Panettone





Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Let your heart be light,

From now on our troubles

Will be out of sight........


I must apologise for my lack of blogging of late, and I so much wanted to share with you lots of Christmas bakes! I’ve been busy looking after the sick and wounded here, what with Mr R (hubby) who is recovering from flu and now unfortunately Miss R (daughter) has come down with this nasty flu!! However, I have managed to squeeze in a few bakes one being a Panettone that I would really like to share with you today. I have seen so many of these gorgeous sweet breads around for sale in the shops at this time of year and I thought wouldn’t it be fun to bake my own this Christmas. My Panettone was made in my Kitchen Aid mixer but by all means, it can easily be made by hand to bring a little festive Italian baking into your home.........


I am also truly flattered and humbled to be the luckiest girl in the world today!! I opened my email to find waiting in my inbox an email from Aparna @ My Diverse Kitchen to let me know I had been chosen by her judges to win her blog 1st birthday event, Sweet Celebrations – with my winning bake of Hummingbird Cake!! Thank you SO MUCH Aparna for holding such a lovely event and it was such a pleasure to bake a cake for your Blogs 1st Birthday. Also my thanks go to the judges for deeming my cake worthy of winning!! The winning prize I am very excited to reveal that is being sent to me is a lovely book by, Asha Khatau’s, Vegetarian Cuisines of The World. Christmas seems to have already arrived for me with this wonderful gift I am to receive; as I type this post, I have the largest smile on my face you could imagine ~ thank you once again Aparna for making me luckiest girl in the world today!! I also have to thank the lovely H.C. *Happy Cook* @ My Kitchen Treasures for such a lovely recipe to bake from ~ thank you my dear friend!



Panettone

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients
75ml (3 fl oz) brandy
175g (6oz) raisins
550 - 620g (1lb 4oz -1lb 6oz) strong plain flour
175g (6oz) butter
5ml (1tsp) salt
65g (21/2 oz) caster sugar
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2.5ml (1/2 tsp) vanilla essence
10.5g easy blend dried yeast
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
Finely grated rind of 1 orange
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
175ml (6 fl oz) milk
175g (6 oz) mixed candied orange and citron peel, chopped
Icing sugar, to decorate if desired.

Method
Lightly oil a 17cm (7in) round spring release cake tin. Line the base and sides with a sheet of parchment paper which sits 12cm (5in) above the rim. Place the brandy and raisins in a bowl and leave to soak for 2 - 4 hours.

Sift the flour into the bowl and add the butter and salt, fit dough hook and blend on speed min for 2 minutes, until combined. Add the sugar, nutmeg, vanilla essence, yeast, rinds, eggs and milk and blend on speed min for 2 minutes, until a soft dough forms. Continue kneading on speed 2 for 2 minutes.

Remove the bowl. Cover with lightly oiled clear - film and leave for about 2 - 4 hours, until well risen and doubled in size. Drain raisins.

Fit the bowl and dough hook and knead on speed 2 for 1 minute. Add the fruits and knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes, until well combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a ball to fit in the cake tin. Cut a deep cross in the surface of the dough and leave until risen 2.5cm (1in) above the top of the tin.

Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6 and bake the bread for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4 and bake for a further 40 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out and leave to cool completely. Dust heavily with icing sugar.

18 comments:

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Wow, that's a beautiful Panettone! Great job!

Cheers and have a nice weeekend,

Rosa

Anonymous said...

Rosie Dear,
Congrats on winning the award..Its all an Inspiration..right ?
This swee bread makes me drool and you know like am first seeing bread..hoo..Its a fine Christmas treat..
Hope all your wounded and recovering persons are blessed by God to celebrate Christmas..
Love,

Unknown said...

another work of art rosie :)

Sweet Treats by Dani said...

looks great rosie. love the height it has :)

sunita said...

Rosie, your house seems to be exactly like ours a couple of weeks ago, when one after aniother, we succumbed to the flu. Hope Mr na Miss R feel better soon :-)

I have heard so much about this sweet bread...will have to try it sometime.

Peter M said...

Rosie, coming back with a homemade Pannetone recipe makes for a good return. I'm always looking for home baked recipes and the store bought ones have way too many additives.

Beth (jamandcream) said...

I hope they all get better soon x great recipe

La Bella Cooks said...

Looks like your panettone turned out beautifully! There is nothing like a tasty slice of this and it also makes for wonderful french toast and bread pudding! Merry Christmas Rosie :)

Unknown said...

nice bread recipe..something new for me...
Your hummingbird cake was awesome..a deserving win...congratulations!!!

Uma said...

Congratulations Rosie for winning a wonderful book. You truly deserve it for your amazing creations. I am so happy for you!

The italian bread looks so gorgeous and yummy. Happy Holidays Dear!

dabrah said...

I love panettone. I've only ever had store bought versions, so may try producing this myself.

grace said...

this is a bread chock-full of goodness. it's pretty easy on the eyes, too. very nice, rosie!

Nic said...

Oh that is a beauty! Mmmm.. maybe I should make one this year.
PS. I made your Xmas pudding cookies, they were delicious!!

Kelly-Jane said...

I have always fancied trying to bake my one of these, lovely job. Merry Christmas to you and yours Rosie!

J.L. Danger said...

I always grab this at the store, maybe now I will try to make it myself.

Rosie said...

Thank you everyone and for all your congratulations :)

Nic, I am SO pleased you enjoyed making and eating the Xmas pud cookies, I am so pleased you enjoyed them :)

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas my dear friends!

Best wishes Rosie xx

Faery said...

Wow Rosie, what a beautiful Panettone, I have been baking panettone and pandoro too.
I was watching all these yummies you did they are really gorgeous.
I wish you a happy, wonderful new year :)

Faery said...

Wow Rosie, what a beautiful Panettone, I have been baking panettone and pandoro too.
I was watching all these yummies you did they are really gorgeous.
I wish you a happy, wonderful new year :)