Monday 13 December 2010

Baby Panettone


One of the things I love about food blogging is that you actually end up learning a lot about food along the way. I particularly love learning about festive food from around the world, its history, the way foods evolve along with soceity, and so on. Fascinating stuff (well.. for me anyway!). I had one of these warm and fuzzy moments when reading an article about panettone recently. It was so lovely to read about its origins and how significant it is to Italians at this time of year. Food really does bring people together, which I think is one of the nicest things about Christmas. So, even though I am not Italian, I decided I wanted in on this panettone business!

So what is panettone? Panettone is a traditional Italian bread with a domed top enjoyed around Christmas. It is a lovely buttery and lightly sweetened bread dotted with dried fruit such as raisins and candied citron. It is said to have originated in Milan, and is commonly enjoyed warm or lightly toasted along with (and even dunked into) espresso at breakfast.



Although it takes a little time to wait for the dough to rise (I definitely do not recommend attempting to make this on a weekday after work), here is a recipe to make your own baby size panettone. I'm a sucker for anything miniature, aren't you?! To make this recipe, you'll need 8 empty, clean, regular-size cans. I only had 4, so I actually halved the recipe below.


Baby Panettone
Adapted recipe from 200 Christmas Recipes by Hamlyn

2 tsp easy-blend dried yeast
125g caster sugar, plus 1 tsp
175ml hand-hot milk
700g strong bread flour (available in the baking aisle of most supermarkets)
4 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 2 lemons
175 salted butter, very soft and diced
185g mixed dried fruit

1. Grease 8 x 400ml clean food cans and line with greaseproof paper that extends above the rims. Grease the paper.

2. Stir the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar into the milk in a large, warm bowl and leave for 10 minutes or until frothy. Stir in 100g of the flour. Cover with clingfilm and leave for 30 minutes.

3. Add the eggs and egg yolks, the remaining flour and the sugar, vanilla, zest and butter. Mix with a round-bladed knife to make a soft dough, adding a little more flour if the dough feels sticky. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Leave to rise in a lightly greased bowl, covered with clingfilm, for 2-4 hours or until doubled in size.


4. Knock back the dough and lightly knead in the dried fruit. Cut the dough into 8 pieces and drop into the tins. Cover and leave to rise until the dough reaches the can rims.


5. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius (Gas Mark 6) for 20-25 minutes or until risen and golden. Remove from oven and leave in cans for 5 minutes before shaking out the panettone to cool on a wire rack.


Variation
To make a whole panettone instead of 8 baby ones, shape the mixture into 1 large ball. Place in a 15cm round cake tin, greased and lined with a double layer of greased greaseproof paper that extends 10cm above the rim. Cover and leave to rise. Bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees celcius, then reduce to 180 degrees celcius and bake for 40 minutes until well risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave in tin for 10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy at home, or wrap well with clingfilm, add some festive decorations and give away to family/friends!


Ladybird x

20 comments:

  1. These look beautiful! Like bonsai spiced breads! I love panettone- I particularly love using it for french toast- it's our Christmas morning tradition...

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  2. Absolutely beautiful. I have wanted to bake something in tins, and now I have a recipe to do so. Thanks these would be perfect little gifts.

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  3. Oh my goodness! These are SO cute! How perfect for Christmas!

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  4. They are so fab!!! :)))) and, it is so true, since i'm blogging i learned so much!! :)

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  5. this is fantastic, and what a great gift idea! Need to start collecting tins now so I'm ready for next Christmas!

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  6. WHat a great idea to make them in a can! My boyfriend loves panettone, i will have to tell him he can make his own :)

    Rose

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  7. What a great idea for Christmas gift! I've bookmarked this for my future Christmas ideas. Thanks for sharing :D

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  8. I love minature things too, they are so much more appealing. It was a great idea to bake them in cans.

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  9. And one of the things I love about reading ppl's blogs is that i get to learn about food i wouldn't have known otherwise :)
    This looks so cute...never thought i could use those tins to bake too!

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  10. Ok, now I get your comment about panettone on my post yesterday!! Yes panettone is typically from Milan, where I live. And I am impressed you made your own: it is a big deal here and nobody bakes it a home because it of the long baking process, the rising etc. Here people order theirs at the city's oldest and best bakeries or they buy the cheaper industrial kind at the supermarket. Great job.

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  11. this is so cute..baby panettone!! i am so impressed..thanks for sharing this with us..hope you have a nice day.

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  12. Ohh I think this is the best Panettone I have ever seen!! So Cute, I love the little collar you added to them. They would make the best gifts.

    I hope to give this a go before Christmas :)

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  13. Your panettone look lovely, so preofessional! And using the cans to bake in is a brilliant idea.

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  14. Kudos on making your own panettone. Yes, these things make an appearance at every Italian Christmas, although most of the time they're store bought and they have a funny taste :(
    These look much better! Beautiful packaging as well.

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  15. These are so cute! What a great idea to use the cans. I should make some to impress my bf's italian family... :)

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  16. Thank you. Will have to try panettone in the cans. Great idea. Love panettone at Christmas.

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  17. Lp.iz Slovenije! V Avstraliji imam kar nekaj sorodnikov. 1997 sem jih obiskala. Zelo lepi spomini. Vesela sem vaše objave. Italija meji na Slovenijo. Panettone jemo tako kot naši sosedi,sicer pa lahko vse leto. Od Božiča do Velike noči ga lahko kadarkoli dobimo v trgovinah. Ni drago.
    Sama imam stran na fb Kaj delam ko ne delam
    .Na njej objavljam reciklirane stvari. Z vašim dovoljenjem bom v pločevinkah,recikliranih,spekla panetone in kruh. Hvala za idejo. Rada vas imam. Nives Bada Strnad

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