Panettone appreciation

Anyone got a good recipe for panettone? Promised I'd make my sister one for her wedding, and I'm slightly worried as I realise what I've agreed to.

When is the wedding and how big a panettone?

14 months, and to be confirmed. Probably a few average sized ones.

It's basically a brioche dough with fruit. Are you an experienced bread maker? I think if you haven't mastered making good brioche, I would be a bit cautious about committing to making panettone. It's a very tall rise that I've read can be difficult to achieve.

Yeah, am experienced. No problems making bread or brioche, just wasn't expecting to meet dedicated tins and two day rises.

So given winter nights are drawing in, what's a good one? I usually get a Lidl one

Heartily recommend the Wilko one!

@LHL, what about individual flowerpot ones? That sort of thing would get you round the giant unpredictable rise situation and that sort of thing goes down really well at weddings. Also means you can use normal size release paper, flower pots you can get anywhere, put lots of them in the oven at the same time, you can decorate them afterwards, put names on them etc etc.

Ikea Ordning makes a greater base.

Would say three or four rises and knocked back, ginger wine soak fruits is my hint.

+1 for wilco

Cheers will go there this year

Interesting thought... so, longer answer. I'm going to have to do one full size, as its going to be the top tier on the cake. Using gingerbread houses round the tiers to make it look good. However, I'm now wondering about using small plant pots to make loads' a mini panettone (profitirole style) that can be spread round the base to ensure everyone gets some..

Coming full circle, before I go completely OTT.. anyone got a good recipe?

I had a mixed success on the first go with this recipe last weekend:

http://www.wildyeastblog.com/panettone-recipe/

It did collapse in the oven, I think because it was over proofed a bit, but the crumb was excellent. Soft, flakey, airy, buttery but with a little bite.

THat was my first attempt at a primarily sourdough (pasta madre) panettone. All my previous efforts with a yeasted dough were bad. I'm going to try making it with only the pasta madre starter next.

I also found that this site has much more reasonably priced panettone cases: https://www.bakerybits.co.uk/panettone-cases-500g-or-135mm-10-1320pcs

Am tempted to make panettone to sell as there are people knocking out panettone for £30 using english bread flour.

Thanks for the links :)

Subbed! My pinnacle last year were these (3rd attempt). Unfortunately my first attempt this year was much worse and I can't remember which recipe I used. What flour are people using?

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^ Nice!

@LHL and @Silly_Savage

I'm repeating myself up thread and here, but my attempts at a sourdough panettone have found that the very strong Canadian flour from waitrose worked pretty well with an American recipe, but Italian 00 flour became over-hydrated.

Match he flour to the recipe is the lesson for me. Not a groundbreaking revelation in hindsight but feels like I'm getting somewhere!

So, spent the last couple of months steadily working this out, via brioche, foccachia, sourdough and a few other loaves. Came out really nice in the end. Not the prettiest things pre decoration (just too big I think) but flavour/texture are excellent. Settled on the recipe @neu linked to, thoigh added aroma panettone to give it a little kick.

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Did you use brioche flour?

Looks amazing. Can panettone be too big?

Sainsburys extra strong Canadian. Didn't realise brioche flour was a thing.

From an eating view, never :)

Presentation wide found they stretched when hung over a certain size- sides folded in.

I use this stuff or similar

This looks excellent!

Interesting. How's it different?

Used the brioche flour today. The ingredients list is wheat flour, gluten powder, (at a guess to make the flour stroger) complete egg powder, egg yolk powder, ascorbic acid and flour enhancer.

So basically, flour with added gluten and powdered egg. But on the mix instructions on the side still say that you have to add an egg as well as the butter and milk. So pointless IMO.