Panettone - Finally! ~ lykksalighet

I mentioned the other day that I really wanted to make Panettone for Christmas this year, as we saw it in Italy everywhere last year. Well I tried this recipe I found in Chatelaine a couple of weeks before Christmas and it was a total disaster! The taste was great, but the dough didn't rise properly and the Panettone were far too dense. I was pretty sure it was an issue with the yeast that was the culprit, and with a few modifications to the recipe I could make them perfect. I ran out of time to try the recipe before Christmas, as the recipe is complicated and requires at least 17 hours of resting time, and I had a very sick hubby on my hands in the days leading up to Christmas which didn't leave much time for baking (he is on the mend so all is good!).

So, instead of Christmas Panettone we had New Year's Panettone! I proofed the yeast (not called for in the original recipe) and the dough rose to perfection. The Panettone turned out golden brown, soft and buttery. Definitely worth the wait!

Ingredients
1 cup california raisins
2 tbsp dark rum
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
zest from 1 orange

1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1/3 cup milk, warmed

1/2 tsp granulated sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
1 tbsp honey, warmed
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
1/3 cup candied chopped orange peel
1/3 cup candied chopped citron peel
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Method
Stir raisins with rum and 2 tbsp water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, 1 min. Stir, then cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Combine flour with sugar, salt, and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix, using the paddle attachment, at low speed.

Proof yeast in 1/3 cup of warmed milk and 1/2 tsp of sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes. Yeast mixture should be frothy and double in size (according to the package directions - my yeast didn't double in size but it was nice and frothy and it still worked well). Whisk eggs with 1/3 cup lukewarm water, honey and vanilla. Add yeast mixture to egg mixture. Gradually pour wet ingredients into flour mixture. Increase speed to medium-low. Continue beating, and add 1 1/4 cups butter, 1 tbsp at a time, until blended. Increase speed to medium-high and beat dough until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 min. (Stand mixer may move around the counter as the beating proceeds.)

Remove paddle, keeping dough in bowl. Drain raisins, discarding any liquid. Add to dough along with orange and citron peels. Gently knead fruit and butter into dough until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 12 to 15 hours.

Remove plastic wrap and lightly sprinkle top of dough with flour. Turn out onto a floured counter. Dust dough with a little more flour. Fold edges into the centre and place seam-side down in same mixing bowl. Cover with a damp kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 5 hours.

Position oven rack in lower third of oven. Preheat to 350F.

Transfer dough onto a floured cutting board. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. (A kitchen scale will make this easier.) Place dough portions in 12 2 1/2-inch-wide paper baking molds, or in an ungreased 12-cup muffin tin. Dough will be about even with the top edges of molds. Brush tops with 1 tbsp melted butter.