This Traditional Homemade Panettone recipe comes from the famous baker Benjamin Abrahão. It is a time-honored recipe followed for over 60 years by baking enthusiasts. Make it in your own kitchen and enjoy spectacular results!
Ingredients for Traditional Homemade Panettone
- 8 cups (approx. 1kg) all-purpose flour
- 3.5 oz (100g) fresh yeast (or 3 tablespoons active dry yeast)
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (200g) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons (10g) salt
- 1 teaspoon panettone essence (or vanilla/citrus extract)
- 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons (approx. 400ml) water
- 1 ½ cups (250g) chopped candied fruit
- 1 cup (150g) raisins soaked in rum
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
How to Make Traditional Homemade Panettone
- Create a “sponge” by mixing 1 cup of the flour, the yeast, and a little water. Let it rest for 15 minutes. (The sponge is a moist dough that serves as the foundation for the panettone fermentation).
- After resting, add the butter, egg yolks, salt, extract, the rest of the water, and sugar. Mix well.
- Gradually add the flour, stirring constantly until a soft dough forms.
- Finally, fold in the candied fruits and raisins. Let the dough rest for 40 minutes.
- After resting, divide the dough into 5 equal parts and shape each into a ball. Place each portion into a paper panettone mold.
- Allow the dough to rise again until it has almost doubled in size.
- Using a sharp blade or lame, carefully score a cross on top of each panettone.
- Place a small teaspoon of unsalted butter on the center of each panettone. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 40 minutes.
- Yields 5 panettones of approx. 1 lb (500g) each.
Tip: You can swap the candied fruits for chocolate chips to make delicious Chocotones. Source: “O Mundo dos Pães” (The World of Breads) by Benjamin Abrahão.