This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Learn how to make this delicious and iconic Italian panettone with easier and much simpler steps but with a great result. The panettone can be baked with or without the panettone mold. I made two different panettones, one with almond paste topping and chocolate panettone.
I decided to make my own panettone this year. It’s been on my to-bake list for a while and finally, I just started making the sponge and there’s no turning back.
What is panettone?
Panettone is also known as Italian Christmas bread/cake. It is characterized by its tall shape with a dome on top and is usually baked in decorative panettone mold or liner. The traditional panettone is leavened with sourdough. So, you gotta have a sourdough on hand, or start making one and then the dough preparation itself take about 2-3 days. Yep, it’s a long process, but lots of passive time. You just have to wait and be patient. It’s the long fermentation that gives panettone its incredible flavor and texture.
Why you will like this recipe
1. The process has been simplified a lot because we are not using leivito madre (pasta madre), which requires a very special process on its own. Lievito madre is how the Italian panettone is traditionally made with
2. The recipe uses the sponge dough method, which is very simple and can be done overnight
3. Despite its simpler steps and not as rich as the traditional panettone, the recipe still yields a good result. The bread has a light and airy texture and good crumbs, though of course, I can’t say it’s as good as the one made solely with sourdough starter, it’s still really good
Use strong bread flour or panettone flour
Please don’t attempt this recipe using all-purpose flour. It doesn’t have enough gluten to support the structure. I highly recommend using really strong bread flour for panettone. In some countries you can purchase panettone flour, which is especially made for well….panettone. Bread flour has higher gluten content that will give you a higher rise and a more stable structure. You want to make sure you use really strong bread flour with 14-15% protein content if possible.
How to make overnight panettone with the sponge method
1. Mix all ingredients for the sponge. Cover and put it in the fridge to let it rise overnight (about 12 hours)
2. Soak the dried fruits in the rum (or water). Cover and set aside until the next day
3. Take the sponge dough out from the fridge at least 1 hour (2 hours if possible) to let it come to room temperature before you start preparing the main dough
4. Drain off excess liquid from the soaked dried fruits and set aside
5. Use a paddle attachment (beater), beat butter and honey until smooth, about 1-2 minutes on medium speed (speed 6 on KA). Then drizzle in the beaten egg and vanilla extract and beat for another minute
6. Switch to the dough hook attachment and add the sponge dough and flour and mix on low speed (speed 2) for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium (speed 4) and knead for 10 minutes. The dough is very soft and sticky at this point. You need to stop several times during kneading to scrape the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula and continue to knead
7. Knead until the dough reaches a windowpane stage, meaning, when you stretch the dough thin very gently, it won’t break
8. Then add the soaked dried fruit, lemon and orange zest, and chocolate chips and mix until combined
9. Oil a large mixing bowl and your hands and pick up the dough to shape it into a round ball and place it inside the prepared bowl. Cover and let the dough rise at a warm place until double in size. The dough is very rich and it’s going to take some time for the dough to double in size, depending on the temperature where you are too. It may take 2 to 3 hours or longer for it to double in size
10. Once the dough is doubled in size , transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface and your hands. Push the air out
11. I only have a 5-inch panettone mold, so I portioned out about 650 grams (about 23 oz) of dough and the rest I put in a 4-inch regular round pan. If you use 6 or 7-inch mold or bigger, you don’t need to portion the dough. Round the dough into a ball by pulling and tucking the dough underneath with both of your hands
11. If you use panettone mold: Put the shaped dough inside a 6 or 7-inch panettone liner/molds. It will yield shorter panettone in 7-inch size
12. If you don’t use panettone mold: You can also use a round cake pan with at least 4 to 5 inches in height. Grease the bottom and the sides of the pan. Line the sides with strips of parchment paper, about 2 inches higher than the pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper as well for easier release
13. Lightly cover the dough and let it rise again until it is about 1 inch below the rim of the mold or the rim of the parchment paper you lined inside the pot. 5 minutes before the end of the second proofing, preheat the oven at 350 F (180 C). This is for my conventional bottom-heat only oven (no fan). If you are using convection with top and bottom heat, lower the temperature by 20 degrees
14. If using almond paste for topping the panettone:
Skip the egg wash. Mix all ingredients for the almond paste. It should be a paste consistency and can be piped but not watery. Add egg white as needed to reach that consistency
15. Transfer the paste to a piping bag or plastic bag, snip the corner, big enough to allow the paste to be piped out and pipe in a circular motion on the surface of the dough
16. If not using almond paste and using egg wash instead:
Prepare the egg wash by whisking a whole egg with water. Gently brush the surface with egg wash
17. Use a sharp razor or bread lame or very sharp knife to score a cross on the surface of the dough. It may be a bit tricky to do so as the dough is wet and sticky, but just do it gently the best you can. This will allow the bread to rise properly as it bakes
Put a small piece of butter in the middle of the cross or on each one of the slit (like I did). It’s up to you
18. Put the mold on top of a baking sheet and transfer it to the oven and place on the middle rack and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the top has nice dark golden brown. If the bread gets too dark halfway during baking, you can tent with a foil (shiny side up) and continue to bake. If you are baking muffin size, it will take about 20-25 minutes
19. Remove the bread from the oven and immediately use two metal skewers to poke through the bread near the bottom (as shown in the photos above) or use 4 bamboo skewers, 2 on each side (because bamboo skewers are not long enough to go through the bread). If you are not using panettone mold, carefully remove the bread by lifting on the parchment paper on the side and carefully use two metal skewers or bamboo skewers. Invert the bread upside down in a tall pot or stockpot, deep enough without the bread touching the base of the pot. Let it cools down upside down until the next day. This allows the bread to maintain its height without collapsing on its own weight and to maintain that light fluffy texture (thanks to gravity pulling on the bread)
20. Panettone is best served after 24 hours to allow the flavor to develop. Dust with some powdered sugar before serving if you wish or serve as is or toast them and spread some butter on it (heaven on earth!)
Did you make this overnight panettone recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
The recipe is adapted from Sugar Geek Show’s
Overnight Panettone (Italian Christmas Bread) - Sponge Method
Ingredients
Sponge dough:
- 145 gr bread flour use really strong bread flour
- 8 gr SAF Gold instant yeast see notes
- 115 gr water about 70 F (20 C)
Main dough:
- 113 gr unsalted butter softened
- 60 gr honey
- 1 large egg room temperature, beaten
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 170 gr bread flour use really strong bread flour
- 6 gr lemon zest
- 6 gr orange zest
- ½ tsp salt
Dried fruits:
- 30 gr raisins
- 30 gr dried cranberries
- 30 gr dried currants
- 15 gr candied orange peel
- ¼ cup rum or you can use water
For chocolate panettone:
- 170 gr semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels
For almond paste topping:
- 20 gr almond flour
- 5 gr cornstarch
- 10 gr icing sugar plus more for dusting
- 10 gr egg white or more as needed
Egg wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp water
You will need:
Instructions
Day 1 evening: Prepare sponge dough
- Mix all ingredients for the sponge using a spatula. Cover and put it in the fridge to let it rise overnight (about 12 hours)145 gr bread flour, 8 gr SAF Gold instant yeast, 115 gr water
- Soak the dried fruits in the rum (or water). Cover and set aside until the next day30 gr raisins, 30 gr dried cranberries, 30 gr dried currants, 1/4 cup rum, 15 gr candied orange peel
Day 2 morning: Prepare the main dough
- Take the sponge dough out from the fridge at least 1 hour (2 hours if possible) to let it come to room temperature before you start preparing the main dough
- Drain off excess liquid from the soaked dried fruits and set aside
- Use a paddle attachment (beater), beat butter and honey until smooth, about 1-2 minutes on medium speed (speed 6 on KA). Then drizzle in the beaten egg and vanilla extract and beat for another minute113 gr unsalted butter, 60 gr honey, 1 large egg, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Switch to dough hook attachment and add the sponge dough and flour and mix on low speed (speed 2) for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium (speed 4) and knead for 10 minutes.The dough is very soft and sticky at this point. You need to stop several times during kneading to scrape the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula and continue to knead.170 gr bread flour
- Knead until the dough reaches a windowpane stage, meaning, when you stretch the dough thin very gently, it won't break.
- Then add the soaked dried fruit, lemon and orange zest, and chocolate chips and mix until just combined using the lowest speed. We don't want to overwork the dough anymore at this point6 gr lemon zest, 6 gr orange zest, 1/2 tsp salt, 30 gr raisins, 30 gr dried cranberries, 30 gr dried currants, 15 gr candied orange peel, 170 gr semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels
First proofing:
- Oil a large mixing bowl and your hands and pick up the dough to shape it into a round ball and place inside the prepared bowl. Cover and let the dough rise at a warm place until double in size. The dough is very rich and it's going to take some time for the dough to double in size, depending on the temperature where you are too. It may take 2 to 3 hours or longer for it to double in size
- If you don't want to bake on the same day, you can let the dough rise until double and then knock the gas out and round it up into a dough ball. Put it inside a bowl with a tight-fitting lid or a zipper plastic bag. Push all the air out and seal. Put this inside the fridge for a cold fermentation. This part actually improves the flavor and the shelf-life of the bread. Then proceed to shape the next day. If the dough is too stiff because of the cold, let it sit for about 30 minutes or so at room temperature and then shape. The dough is easier to work with when it's cold
Shape the dough:
- If you want to bake on the same day, once the dough is doubled in size , transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface and your hands. Push the air out
- I only have a 5-inch panettone mold, so I portioned out about 650 grams (about 23 oz) of dough and the rest I put in a 4-inch regular round pan. If you use 6 or 7 inch mold or bigger, you don't need to portion the dough
- Round the dough into a ball by pulling and tucking the dough underneath with both of your hands to create some tension to the dough
To bake with panettone mold:
- Place the shaped dough inside the mold and proceed to second proofing step
To bake without panettone mold:
- You can also use a round cake pan with at least 4 to 5 inches in height. Grease the bottom and the sides of the pan. Line the sides with strips of parchment paper, about 2 inches higher than the pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper as well for easier release
- Place the dough inside the pan and proceed to second proofing
Second proofing:
- Lightly cover the dough and let it rise again until it is about 1 inch below the rim of the mold or the rim of the parchment paper you lined inside the pot
- 5 minutes before the end of the second proofing, preheat the oven at 350 F (180 C). This is for my conventional bottom-heat only oven (no fan). If you are using convection with top and bottom heat, lower the temperature by 20 F or 15 C
If using almond paste for topping the panettone:
- Skip the egg wash. Mix all ingredients for the almond paste. It should be a paste consistency and can be piped but not watery. Add egg white as needed to reach that consistency20 gr almond flour, 5 gr cornstarch, 10 gr icing sugar, 10 gr egg white
- Transfer the paste to a piping bag or plastic bag, snip the corner, big enough to allow the paste to be piped out and pipe in a circular motion on the surface of the dough. Dust with some icing sugar on top10 gr icing sugar
If not using almond paste and using egg wash instead:
- Prepare the egg wash by whisking a whole egg with water. Gently brush the surface with egg wash1 large egg, 1 Tbsp water
Scoring the bread:
- Use a sharp razor or bread lame or very sharp knife to score a cross on the surface of the dough. It may be a bit tricky to do so as the dough is wet and sticky, but just do it gently the best you can. This will allow the bread to rise properly as it bakes
- Put a small piece of butter in the middle of the cross. Why? this part I'm not so sure. It's probably the tradition? Please enlight me if you know why 🙂
Baking:
- Put the mold on top of a baking sheet and transfer it to the oven and place on the middle rack and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the top has nice dark golden brown. If the bread gets too dark halfway during baking, you can tent with a foil (shiny side up) and continue to bake
- If you are baking muffin size, it will take about 20-25 minutes
Invert the bread upside down:
- Remove the bread from the oven and immediately use two metal skewers to poke through the bread near the bottom (as shown in the photos above) or use 4 bamboo skewers, 2 on each side (because bamboo skewers are not long enough to go through the bread)
- If you are not using panettone mold, carefully remove the bread by lifting on the parchment paper on the side and carefully use two metal skewers to poke through the bread near the bottom of the bread or use 4 bamboo skewers, 2 on each side (because bamboo skewers are not long enough to go through the bread)
- You do not need to invert the muffin size panettone. They are small enough to maintain the height
Cool down:
- Invert the bread upside down in a tall pot or stockpot, deep enough without the bread touching the base of the pot. Let it cools down upside down until the next day. This allows the bread to maintain its height without collapsing on its own weight and to maintain that light fluffy texture (thanks to gravity pulling on the bread)
Serve:
- Panettone is best served after 24 hours to allow the flavor to develop. Dust with some powdered sugar before serving if you wish or serve as is or toast them and spread some butter on it (heaven on earth!)
How to store panettone:
- Let panettone cools down completely and then wrap it with a cling wrap and put inside an air-tight container or a zipper bag (push all the air out and seal). It can be stored at room temperature for one week if it's not humid where you are
- Panettone also freezes well. Wrap it with double layer of cling wrap and then put inside a freezer bag. Push all the air out and seal. They can be kept frozen for one month. I personally won't go beyond one month for the best result
4 comments
Hi Marvellina,
Baked this last evening and ate a slice this afternoon. It’s lovely and not dry at all.
Will be making more as giveaways for Christmas.
Thank you 😊
Hi Francisca, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It may not be like the hardcore difficult-to-bake traditional panettone using pasta madre, but for the amount of work this involved (which is quite minimal), I would say not bad at all 🙂 Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Hi,
For the Day 1 evening doing the sponge dough, do you use a stand mixer or can u just use a hand whisk to mix the 3 ingredients ?
Hi Francisca, you can just mix it with a spatula. It’s funny that I saw your question here because I’m actually adding some new information to the recipe card 🙂