Italian Panettone Bread Fruit Cake Recipe (2024)

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This classic Italian Panettone bread tastes amazing! Impress everyone with delicious homemade panettone for Christmas or Easter – this is the only panettone recipe you’ll ever need!

Italian Panettone Bread Fruit Cake Recipe (1)

Panettone fruit bread is a classic Christmas and Easter recipe that will be a perfect addition to your holiday feast!Panettone is so soft, tall, round and loaded with fruit – this huge towering loaf is everybody’s favorite!

Italian Panettone Bread Fruit Cake Recipe (2)

Here’s a little panettone history – panettone originated in Italy in the 14th century – the oldest reference to panettone dates back to 1470 in Milan.Italian word “panetto” means “small loaf cake”, and the Italian suffix “-one” changes to meaning to “large loaf cake”. And surely large it is!

Italian Panettone Bread Fruit Cake Recipe (3)

Is panettone a bread or cake? Because it’s sweet and has dried fruits in it, it’s often called a fruit cake.I saypanettone is a sweet bread! Panettone dough is made with yeast and has to rise like a bread dough, so that makes it a bread in my book :)

Because of its hybrid bread/cake nature, you can eat panettone many different ways – as a bread with the main course, as a cake for dessert or in the morning for breakfast!

Italian Panettone Bread Fruit Cake Recipe (4)

Panettone makes a perfect Christmas morning breakfast and it also makes the best french toast ever! Check out my baked french toast recipe– making it with panettone slices will be a killer dish for a holiday brunch!

Italian Panettone Bread Fruit Cake Recipe (5)

Panettone also makes a great homemade holiday gift! Homemade Italian panettone bread made by you with love is the best Christmas gift ever! Just let freshly baked panettone fully cool down, then put in a gift plastic bag, tie it with a ribbon and your panettone fruit cake gift is ready to go!

Italian Panettone Bread Fruit Cake Recipe (6)

To make a super-tall panettone bread like the one on the picture, you need a springform panettone pan (you can get them on Amazon). No pannetone pan? No problem! You can make pannetone in a regular 8-inch round cake pan. If you use a regular round cake pan, the panettone dough will rise above the rim of the pan during the dough rising stage, and then rise even more in the oven, so you will still get a delicious soft and tall loaf of Italian panettone!

Italian Panettone Bread Fruit Cake Recipe (7)

If you like Italian panettone bread, you will also love these recipes:

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls – these are so soft and delicious! If you don’t own a bread machine, you can just knead the dough by hand :)

Cranberry Orange Christmas Bread – another great holiday loaf recipe that is really easy to make!

Candied Lemon or Orange Slices – they are so addictive, that’s a must for all citrus lovers!

Christmas Pinwheel Cookies – these cookies are so festive with beatiful red, green and white spiral swirls!

Christmas Fruit Salad – everyone loves fruit salad, and this one is all about the colors red, white and green!

Irish Soda Bread – another beautiful classic bread, save this one to your Easter recipe collection!

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Italian Panettone Bread Fruit Cake Recipe (8)

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Italian Panettone Bread (Christmas Fruit Cake)

This is the best Italian Panettone bread recipe ever! It rises so tall and comes out perfect every time! Once you try this easy Christmas Panettone recipe, you'll never make it any other way!

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course: Bread, Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 8 servings

Author: MelanieCooks.com

Ingredients

  • 1 .25 ounce package active dry yeast
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp grated lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp grated orange zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more if needed
  • 1/3 cup dried currants
  • 1/3 cup raisins

Instructions

  • Pour lukewarm water in a large bowl and add yeast and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until foamy. (The foam shows that the yeast is working)

  • Add the yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest, orange zest and salt and mix until combined.

  • Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix, until all the flour is incorporated.

  • Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and pliable. If the dough is sticky, add more flour 1 tbsp at a time, until no longer sticky.

  • Spray a new large bowl with cooking spray, put the panettone dough in the bowl, cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a pannetone pan or a round 8-inch cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.

  • Punch down the dough in a bowl, move the dough to floured surface, add the dried currants and raisins and knead until the dried fruit is incorporated.

  • Form the panettone dough into a ball, put in a cake pan, cover loosely with a towel, and let rise for 30 minutes. (If you are using a regular round cake pan, the dough will rise above the pan sides).

  • Put the panettone in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

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Italian Panettone Bread Fruit Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between panettone and fruit cake? ›

It's a light, fluffy, buttery bread that lacks the boozy density of fruitcake. If you're ever wondering about the fundamental difference between fruitcake and panettone, know this: while one was created out of necessity, the other was created out of love.

What is the secret to good panettone? ›

Essential to a good panettone is mature sourdough starter, which gives bread its unique character, and distinguishes one baker from another. “If you want something special, you will cultivate your own yeast,” says Li, who has been nurturing his starter for 15 years. “It's like cheese or winemaking.”

What is the best flour for panettone? ›

It seems that your Italian 00 or Canadian flour suits this best. For Panettone, it will undergo a lengthy, 2 day fermentation process with a sourdough starter. 1st fermentation will take around 13 to 14 hours, whereby more flour and eggs, etc..... will be added and it will undergo a further 10 hour fermentation.

What fruit do they put in panettone? ›

The standard ones are candied orange peel, rum-soaked raisins, hazelnuts, chocolate chips and pearl sugar. But you can really add whatever you want. For me, I'd drop the orange peel and raisins and go all chocolate and nut. You will need a panettone mold, and Wade suggests getting one on Amazon from Novacart.

Why is panettone so expensive? ›

Panettone tends to be a little more expensive than most other baked goods, mainly due to the amount of time that goes into making each one. A traditional panettone is usually a lengthy procedure, however, a cheap mass-produced alternative will take shortcuts in the baking process which will be reflected in its taste.

Why do you turn panettone upside down? ›

The dimensions should be around 13,5 cm / 5.3 inch diameter and a height of 9.5 cm / 3.7 inch. Panetonne needs to cool upside down after baking, because the delicate and fluffy bread would collapse if you leave it standing up after baking.

Should you butter panettone? ›

Panettone can be eaten in a variety of ways. It's commonly sliced and enjoyed as is, but it can also be toasted, buttered, used in desserts like bread pudding, or even paired with savoury dishes.

Why is panettone so difficult? ›

While no sourdough baking processes can be considered “simple”, panettone is definitely takes complications to the extreme, with an unusual levain maintenance method (“pasta madre”, or mother dough), two dough builds (the “primo” and “secondo impastos”), and the necessity for exacting temperature and pH control ...

What is the best mixer for panettone? ›

BITE/N. The Bite/N mixers are perfect for particularly hydrated types of dough that are used to make baguettes, sliced bread, and breadsticks, for example, but also pastries such as croissants, panettone, and brioches.

What is the most expensive panettone cake? ›

According to Gastronomica, which says it is the UK's best-loved Italian food supplier, the world's most expensive panettone was 80,000 euros or £72,000) and was made by an Italian pastry chef for a billionaire Russian businessman. The high cost was on account of its fancy decoration of golden leaves and diamonds.

Why is my panettone dough sticky? ›

Your dough can become sticky when you add too much water or the flour isn't suitable for the type of dough you are making. Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough.

What does panettone mean in English? ›

Meaning of panettone in English

panettone. noun [ C or U ] /ˌpæn.əˈtəʊ.ni/ us. /ˌpæn.ɪˈtoʊ.ni/ an Italian Christmas cake containing dried fruit and nuts.

Does panettone need to be refrigerated? ›

Storing: Keep your panettone in a dry and cool place (54-65°F), away from direct sunlight. This is especially important if you have purchased a panettone with a glaze; they will be extremely sensitive to heat and light. After slicing, store the remaining inside of the cellophane bag that it was originally wrapped in.

Is panettone not a fruit cake? ›

Panettone is a traditional cake-like bread stuffed with dried raisins and candied orange and lemon peel from Milan that has been embraced by fans worldwide. Immigrants to the Americas brought with them their love of panettone.

What cake is similar to panettone? ›

Pandoro is an Italian Christmas cake that bears a resemblance to the Traditional Panettone but has a unique character all its own. This sweet and aromatic bread is a beloved tradition in the Veneto region, especially in the city of Verona.

Is Christmas cake and fruitcake the same thing? ›

Christmas cake and fruitcake often refer to the same thing: a cake with lots of candied dried fruits in them, a spicy-sweet flavor profile, and the presence of an alcohol such as rum.

What is the point of panettone? ›

Panettone is a versatile treat. It's delicious for breakfast, pairs perfectly with a cup of tea for a snack, and can even make a delightful dessert. Panettone has become a popular Christmas staple worldwide, and it's also traditionally served on New Year's and Twelfth Night.

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