Homemade Panettone Bread Recipe (2024)

This homemade Panettone Bread Recipe is a buttery sweet dessert that is perfect to serve to family and friends for holidays and celebrations.

For the Aromatics:

• 1 tablespoon honey
• zest of 2 oranges
• zest of 1 lemon
• vanilla beans from 1 vanilla pod
• 1 ½ teaspoon dark rum

For the First Dough (Biga):

• 1/3 cup bread flour
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ packet active yeast
• 3 tablespoons water

For the Second Dough:

• 1 2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons bread flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ packet active yeast
• ½ cup water
• first dough
• 3 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoon softened unsalted butter

For the Third Dough:

• second dough
• ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons bread flour
• ¾ teaspoon coarse salt
• 50 grams sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
• 1 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• In a small bowl, mix together the honey, orange zest, lemon zest, vanilla beans from 1 vanilla pod, and rum. Cover with plastic and sit at room temperature for 10 to 24 hours.

• For the biga, the first dough, mix 1/3 cup of bread flour with 2 grams of sugar, ½ packet of yeast, and 3 tablespoons of water with a spoon in a bowl or container until combined and the flour is hydrated. Cover and set at room temperature for 12-24 hours.

• For the second dough, add to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment 1 2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons of bread flour, 1/3 cup of sugar, and the remaining ½ packet of yeast, and ½ cup of cold water and mix on low speed until combined, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes.

• Next, add the biga and continue to mix on low speed until combined.

• Add in 1 egg at a time. Do not add the next egg until the one before is absorbed into the dough.

• Replace the paddle attachment with the hook attachment and then add in 4 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Do not add the next tablespoon of butter until the one before is absorbed in the dough. Once combined, knead for 4 to 5 minutes on low speed.

• Transfer the dough to a container with a lid and place in a warm place for 4 to 5 hours or until it at least doubles in size. It’s better if it tripled in size. See chef notes about proofing options.

• Add the risen dough to a stand mixer with the hook attachment along with ¾ teaspoon salt, the remaining ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons of bread flour, and 1/3 cup of sugar and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are absorbed into the dough. This takes about 3 to 4 minutes.

• Like the process with the second dough, add the remaining egg yolks, and then the butter.

• Once mixed in, add the honey-citrus aromatics, knead on low speed until combined, and then knead for an additional 4 to 5 minutes.

• Transfer the dough to a clean surface and carefully stretch it until it is roughly 12” to 14” inches wide by 18” inches in length.

• Evenly sprinkle 2/3 cup of the chocolate chips over the top of the dough.

• Then, fold the third bottom up to the center, and then wrap the top third over the top of the center of the dough.

• Sprinkle on ½ of the remaining chocolate chips over the dough.

• Fold the right part of the dough to the center, sprinkle on the remaining ½ of the chocolate chips over the folded dough, and then fold left over right.

• Using a bench knife, scrape under the dough while turning it to form a taught dough ball with the seams underneath.

• Transfer the dough to a panettone dough mold. Mine was 4 1/2“ inches deep by 7 ½” inches wide. Cover and sit at room temperature for 12-15 hours or in a cold oven with the door cracked and the oven light on for 8 to 10 hours or until the outside of the dough is ½” from the edge of the panettone mold and the dome of the dough is at least 1” above the mold.

• Remove the cover from the panettone and let it sit at room temperature before scoring a T into the top of the dough, going no deeper than ¼” inch.

• Top off with 1 teaspoon of softened unsalted butter and bake in the oven at 350° convection fan on for 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough is a dark brown and reaches 195° in the center of the bread.

• Using extra-long skewers, place two of them completely through the bread 1” inch from the bottom and 3” to 4” apart from one another.

• Hang the bread upside down for 2 to 3 hours to cool to room temperature.

• Flip the bread over, slice and serve.

Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 5 days ahead for freshness.

How to Store: Cover and leave at room temperature for up to 10 days. Refrigerated covered for up to 15 days. You can freeze these covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature until thawed.

How to Reheat: If you wish to serve this warm, wrap the desired amount of bread in foil and bake in the oven at 350° for 4-6 minutes or until warm.

The longer the aromatics sit, the more intense its flavor and aroma. It can also sit for up to 48 hours.

The longer the biga ferments, the more acidity, flavor, and structure it adds to your dough.

The biga should double or triple in size and have plenty of fermentation bubbles when you are ready to use it.

When ingredients start to get added to the dough while in the mixer, it will look like nothing is happening for the first 2 to 3 minutes. Be patient and wait a little longer, and the dough will start to come together.

Place the dough into a cold oven with the door slightly cracked and the oven light turned on to accelerate the proofing times. This will decrease the amount of proofing and fermentation time by about 20%.

If you notice after 30 minutes of the panettone cooking that it is browning too quickly, cover it with foil and turn the heat down to 325° convention for the remaining time.

You hang the bread upside down because, due to its delicacy, it can fall if cooled right-side up.

The dough should not be sticky after each dough is done before proofing or fermenting.

You will know the dough is good while kneading when the bowl is clean and free from the dough where it is being mixed.

The reason you rest the dough after fermenting it in the panettone mold is so that the dough skin hardens up, making it easier to score.