Panettone
Prep
120 min
Bake
50 min
Total time
2 hr 50 min
Hydration
60%
An achievable home-baker's panettone made with 100% freshly milled hard white wheat, candied citrus, raisins, and a long, slow ferment. Tall, domed, and dramatically tearable — not the bakery-grade 24-hour version, but a true panettone for a Christmas morning table.
Key Takeaways
- Use a paper panettone mold — the dough is too rich for an ordinary pan.
- Cold ferment 12–18 hours is essential for flavor and structure.
- Hanging upside down after baking prevents the tall loaf from collapsing.
- Internal temp 200°F is your only doneness check — toothpicks deceive in enriched dough.
- Sourdough panettone is a separate project; this is the home-baker's yeast version.
About this recipe
A traditional panettone takes 48 hours and a very strong sourdough starter. This is the home-baker's version: still very rich, still distinctly panettone, but achievable in a single weekend with active dry yeast and a long cold ferment. The loaf is enriched far beyond ordinary bread — eggs, butter, and sugar make the dough soft and slow to ferment. Fresh milled hard white wheat surprises here, contributing structure that supports the tall dome without collapsing. The dough goes into a tall paper panettone mold (sold online or at baking supply stores) for the iconic shape. The most distinctive panettone step is hanging it upside-down after baking. This prevents the tall loaf from collapsing under its own weight as it cools. Skewer the bottom with two long knitting needles or bamboo skewers and suspend between two stacks of books.
Ingredients
- Soak: raisins120 g
- Soak: candied orange and lemon peel180 g
- Soak: warm water or rum60 g
- Dough: freshly milled hard white wheat flour500 g
- Dough: whole milk (warm)150 g
- Dough: instant yeast8 g
- Dough: sugar100 g
- Dough: honey30 g
- Dough: egg yolks5 large
- Dough: whole egg1
- Dough: softened butter180 g
- Dough: fine sea salt8 g
- Dough: vanilla extract10 g
- Dough: zest of 1 orange + 1 lemon
Instructions
- 1
Soak raisins and peel in warm water or rum for 30 minutes. Drain.
- 2
Whisk warm milk, yeast, honey, sugar, yolks, whole egg, vanilla, and zest in a large bowl.
- 3
Add flour and salt. Mix shaggy.
- 4
Knead 5 minutes in a stand mixer.
- 5
Add butter a tablespoon at a time, kneading until each is absorbed. Knead 10 more minutes — the dough should be soft, glossy, and pull cleanly from the bowl.
- 6
Fold in drained fruit by hand. Just to distribute.
- 7
Cover and refrigerate 12–18 hours (cold ferment is essential).
- 8
Turn out cold dough. Shape into a tight ball: stretch the edges into the center and pinch closed at the bottom. Place pinched-side down in a paper panettone mold (1 lb size).
- 9
Cover and proof 6–8 hours at warm room temperature (the rich, cold dough rises slowly) — until the dough has risen to within 1 inch of the rim.
- 10
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- 11
Score an X across the top with a sharp blade. Optionally, place a small pat of cold butter in the center.
- 12
Bake 45–55 minutes until deeply golden and the internal temperature reads 200°F (93°C). Tent with foil if browning too fast.
- 13
Within 2 minutes of leaving the oven, skewer 2 long knitting needles or bamboo skewers horizontally through the bottom of the loaf (still in its paper mold).
- 14
Suspend upside-down between two stacks of books / two glasses / chair backs. Hang 4 hours minimum (overnight is fine).
- 15
Right-side up to slice. Keeps 3+ days wrapped at room temperature.
fresh flour baking guide for beginners — hydration, gluten development, and grain choice tips that make this recipe work.
Learn about this grain: Hard White Wheat guide — flavor, milling notes, baking tips, and four in-depth guides on hydration, storage, and common mistakes. Or browse more Hard White Wheat recipes.
Learn a technique
All guides →- Bulk Fermentation with Fresh-Milled FlourFresh-milled flour ferments faster than commercial flour. Watch the dough, not the clock, and end bulk fermentation when volume has grown 50–75%.
- How To Build Gluten With Fresh Milled FlourGluten development in fresh-milled flour is a different craft than in commercial white flour. White-flour doughs love aggressive kneading, slap-and-folds, and stand mixers on high — the smooth endosperm forms long uninterrupted gluten strands quickly. Fresh-milled flour cannot work that way because the bran physically interrupts every gluten strand it touches. The bakers who get gorgeous open crumb out of fresh flour all do the same thing: hydrate fully, rest patiently, fold gently, and choose the right grain. This guide walks through the science and the technique.
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