The Precise Kitchen Elf's Panettone for #TwelveLoaves

#TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Savoring Italy and runs smoothly with the help of Heather of All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, and the rest of our fabulous bakers. This month we are baking Holiday Breads that are perfect to celebrate the holiday season. For more bread recipes, visit the #TwelveLoaves Pinterest board, or check out last month's inspiring selection of #TwelveLoaves Thanksgiving Biscuits and Rolls!


This month's Holiday Bread Basket includes...

• Buttermilk Honey Santa Bread from Kudos Kitchen 
• Cranberry Cinnamon Swirl Bread from Baking in Pyjamas 
• Christmas Morning Crown from All That's Left are the Crumbs 
• Cranberry Orange Muffins from Hostess at Heart 
• Fruity Santa Bread from Cheap Ethnic Eatz 
• Pandolce Genovese from Savoring Italy 
• Pecan Kringle from Karen's Kitchen Stories 
• The Precise Kitchen Elf's Panettone from Culinary Adventures with Camilla 

If you'd like to bake along with us this month, share your Holiday Breads using hashtag #TwelveLoaves!

The Precise Kitchen Elf's Panettone

Every year we make homemade panettone. Last year, my Precise Kitchen Elf took over the duties. It's a long process, but one he's happy to do. And I, for one, am grateful.

Step One...Candy the Citrus

I am not big on plain ol' oranges. Blood oranges, clementines, pumelo, any other citrus and I am excited. So I shouldn't be too surprised that when we were selecting citrus to candy for his holiday panettone, R picked kumquats, grapefruits, limes, and a few fingers of Buddha's Hand citron. Quick note: always use organic. You're spending time and money to eat the peels; you don't want to be consuming chemicals and pesticides!

Ingredients

• 2 C water
• 2 C organic granulated sugar + more for rolling
• 12 oz kumquats, washed and dried
• 1 grapefruit
• 2 limes
• 2 fingers of Buddha's Hand citron (click for a quick intro to Buddha's Hand)

Procedure

Slice the kumquats into quarters. Peel the grapefruit and limes and slice into strips. Cut the Buddha's Hand into small cubes.

Place all of the citrus in a large, flat-bottom pan. Add cold water until they are floating. Bring the pan to a boil. Drain. Add cold water until they are floating and bring to a boil again. Drain. Repeat a third time.

Then create a simple syrup by bringing the water and sugar to a simmer and cooking till the syrup thickens. Place the citrus and simple syrup in the flat-bottom pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the citrus is translucent and the syrup is thickened and sticking to the fruit. Ours took about 90 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the citrus to a bowl full of granulated sugar. Roll the citrus in the sugar. Lay out on a parchment-lined cutting board and leave to dry.

Step Two...The Dough

Ingredients - makes 3 loaves + 1 mini taster loaf (R insists on this!)

• 1 C warm water
• 2 T active dry yeast
• 6 T organic granulated sugar
• 12 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 9 C all-purpose flour
• splash of olive oil
• splash of pure vanilla extract
• 2 C organic raisins
• 20 T softened butter

Procedure

Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Let bloom for 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well mixed.

With the mixer on low speed, add 2 C of the flour and the salt and mix for 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low, add the remainder of the flour and mix for 5 more minutes.

  

Gently incorporate the raisins with a spatula. Then scrape the dough into a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

After the first overnight rise, we were ready for the second rise. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. With a spatula, fold 1 C of diced candied citrus into the dough. It will deflate slightly. Don't worry. It'll rise for another 8-9 hours again. Back in the fridge!

Step Three...The Baking and the Hanging

After the second rise, let the dough come to room temperature for at least an hour. Use a spatula to fold 20 tablespoons of softened butter into the dough. Divide the dough into three pieces. For them into rounds.

Place the dough into the parchment panettone liners. Let the dough rise - for the third time - at room temperature for 3 hours. During the last 20 minutes of the rise, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Once the oven is heated, place the breads in the lower half of the oven. Bake for 50-55 minutes...until the breads are golden and sound hollow when tapped.

After the panettone is baked, it needs to hang. Yes, hang. Upside down. So that it doesn't compress as it cools. I stuck it with skewers and balanced them on cardboard boxes.

And there you have it: The Precise Kitchen Elf's panettone.