Mini Panettone

Delicious mini panettone a bite sized version of classic panettone made with rum soaked dry fruits .

Holidays  is one of best time of year which I love to bake a lot, yes it includes baking Christmas breads and cookies  from various parts of the world. My kids wait for Santa to bring their gifts. My daughter even started making cross in the calendar before going to sleep every day to check how close the Santa is coming. They already asked me to make chocolate chip cookies for Santa and milk. Since we don’t have a chimney in this house we need to keep on the lights so that Santa can make his way and give them the present. I am happy to make this cute mini panettone using Bob's Red mill All-purpose flour.

When it comes to bread, I like to make it at home if possible.  Just out of curiosity I bought a small panettone from my Middle Eastern grocery store, and never realized I was buying a rock. It was hard and not soft as I had expected. I immediately threw that into the garbage can. So I decided to stick to my panettone making idea. I have been trying to make panettone for last few years.  Finally I found out a perfect way to make this mini panettone, these are delicious, cute and excellent gift idea you can share with your friends and family. I have given some to my friends.

Panettone is a type of rich sweet bread originally from Milan usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year in Italy, and is one of the symbols of the city of Milan. Panettone is a leaven cake and dates back to Roman times, and there is written proof linking this bread to Christmas goes back to the 18th century.

It wasn't until the 20th century that commercial bakers decided to make panettone on a large-scale, thus decreasing the price and increasing Panettone’s popularity as a Christmas gift. When guests visit during the holiday season, a loaf will often be brought out and served with sweet wine or coffee.

I like the folk legend about panettone, Once upon a time, a handsome young Milanese aristocrat man, Ugheto Atellani loved falconry.  His favorite place to fly his falcons was near a poor baker’s shop. 

As he sat under a fig tree, waiting for his falcons, he could see the baker’s beautiful daughter Adalgisa, hard at work.  Of course, Ugheto fell in love and couldn’t bear to see the object of his love, work so hard for so little.  He disguised himself as a poor farmer  and offered to work for the baker for free.  He discovered he enjoyed baking; however, he didn’t feel the coarse corn cakes/bread that baker made for Christmas were worthy of the work Adalgisa put into them. 

 He decides to buy the fine flour and eggs for Christmas bread, and for that Ugheto sold his beloved falcons.  He added dried grapes and candied fruits.  Word of the wonderful bread become widespread and the baker became very successful.  Ugheto removed his disguise to reveal who he was and asked for Adalgisa’s hand in marriage.  The duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza arranged the wedding,  for which Leonardo da Vinci also came as a guest.   Of course, the cake-like bread was featured at the wedding and became known as Pan de Ton which, in local dialect, means “the bread of luxury”.

Traditionally Panettone is made with sourdough and raised three times. However for this recipe I used instant yeast and it rose three times.  This recipe is adapted from Bread by Dean Brettschneider.

I modified the recipe as usual and added secret essence of Panettone, Fiori di Sicilia is an extract that combines vanilla, citrus and flower essences. “Flowers of Sicily” is what it literally means. It was in my list for long time finally bought it to make this panettone.

When it comes to making goodies for baking I go with Bob's Red red mill flours whether it is sourdough bread, cake or cookies. I like their variety flour as it give me perfect result every time.

For this I used all purpose four as it has same high protein flour used by professional bakers and produces high, well-textured loaves of bread equally as well as it produces light, airy baked goods. This kitchen staple is incredibly versatile and perfect for all of your baking needs.

For making this mini Panettones, you need to make sponge the day before, and the next day mix it with butter, eggs and sugar and allow them to  double in size at room temperature and then add  Fiori di Sicilia, orange zest,  rum soaked raisins and candied fruits and mix well and rise it one more time. Then divide and bake it in your muffin tin. Make sure to grease them well with butter.

Day before baking make sponge like this 

Next morning bake   Dough 

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and put it in muffin and bake. 

You friends and family love these small treats it is nice way to spread the cheers during this holiday season.  Why wait start baking.

Please check this link for coupon on Bob's Red Mill Flours 

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Mini Panettone

Delicious mini panettone a bite sized version of classic panettone made with rum soaked dry fruits .

Prep Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

8 hours hrs

Total Time10 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Christmas bread recipes, Mini panettone

Servings: 12 pieces

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Swathi (Ambujom Saraswathy)

Ingredients

• Day before baking / sponge
• ¾ cup/ 92.5 g I used Bob’s red mill unbleached all purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon/1g SAF instant yeast
• ¼ cup water
• For soaking dry fruits
• ½ cup 90g raisins
• 20 ml 4 teaspoon rum
• On the day of Baking /Dough
• 2 cup /250g Bob’s red mill unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon 5g salt
• ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon 2.5g SAF instant yeast
• ½ teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 no 70g large egg yolk
• ⅓ cup 90 ml water
• Zest of one orange
• 1 quantity of sponge dough from day before
• 1 quantity of soaked fruit from the day before
• ¼ cup 57.5g butter + ¼ cup (57.5g) butter for brushing and to place on the top of the loaf
• 2 tablespoon 50g candied fruit

Instructions

Day before baking makes sponge

• In a plastic bowl add all the ingredients, mix and knead well for 5 minutes and to form dough.
• Cover it with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for a minimum 8 hours or preferable overnight.
• After overnight or 8 hours sponge will look like this.
• To prepare the fruit
• Place the raisins in a bowl and add rum and toss to coat and cover it overnight. Add mixed fruit peel just before mixing it into the dough.

On the day of baking

• Place all the ingredients, orange zest, sponge, and vanilla extract,
• Fiori di Sicilia into kitchen aid mixer bowl fitted with dough hook and mix to combine.
• Then add egg yolks and water and mix once again to combine.
• Then add soften butter over 5 additions while still kneading.
• This process will take some time at first the dough will be soft and sticky at first then knead for 10-15 minutes. Resting the dough for 1 minute every 2-3 minutes until it becomes very smooth, elastic, soft and shiny.
• Set aside for doubling in size in a lightly greased bowl for about 1 hour.
• Knock it down and fold the dough once again and set aside for another 30 minutes. Then to this dough try to incorporate, the rum soaked raisins, candied fruit peels and
• knead once again until you incorporate the entire fruit into the dough. Set aside for double for about 35 minutes.
• Then divide the dough into 12 equal pieces of about 50g dough and place it into a buttered muffin tin. Let it set aside to rise about 30 minutes.
• In mean time pre-heat the oven to 375F and before ready to bake the mini panettone, make an x mark and on the top and place ½ tablespoon butter
• bake it for about 15 minutes or until it becomes golden brown color with dome on the top.
• Once it is removed from the oven immediately brush with melted butter and leave it cool. You don’t need to hang the panettone as we need to do for the regular panettone.
• Enjoy

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 243mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @nidhinikhil or tag #zestysouthindiankitchenrecipes!

Check  here for more Christmas and Holiday bread 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Swathi

This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread.  All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.