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Panettone Recipe (Yeast Method)

Panettone Yeast Recipe

Panettone season is in full swing.

If you don’t have sourdough starter or running out of time to work on your pasta madre, this yeast method recipe will be your life saver.

The final product has a super soft moist crumb, and it is full of flavor!

Ingredients

Aromatic Mix

Biga 

  • 375g strong flour 
  • 185g water
  • 5g fresh yeast or 1.5g dry instant yeast

First dough 

  • 100g sugar
  • 80g yolk
  • 90g soft butter

Second dough

  • 30g strong panettone flour
  • 1g fresh yeast or (0.3g instant dry yeast)
  • 10g water
  • 6g salt
  • 20g yolks 
  • 40g sugar
  • 40g soft butter 
  • 25g aromatic mix
  • 300g inclusions (candied orange peel, raisins, chocolate chips)

Glaze

  • 20g almond flour
  • 40g sugar
  • 10-12g egg whites 

Directions

Night before

Prepare aromatic mix

  • Night before making the dough mix all the ingredients for aromatic mix and let them soak in the fridge overnight.

Night before

Prepare biga

  • Pour water into the bowl, dissolve yeast in it. 
  • Add flour. Knead with your hands. Doughs has to remain lumpy.
  • Form a ball, do a cross shaped cut on top , cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let ferment for 12-14 hours at 72-74F

Next morning

First dough

  • Biga has to become bigger and lighter.
  • Using paddle attachment Start mixing biga with yolks on low speed for 2-5 min, then increase the speed to medium, continue mixing for 3-5 more minutes until all yolk will be incorporated and dough will start yo wrap around paddle.
  • Add sugar, continue kneading for 5-7 min, dough should be wrapping paddle. 
  • Add soft butter, keep kneading on medium speed for 5-7 min until dough will wrap the paddle, and the bowl will become clean.
  • Dough has to become strong. Not sticky.

Note: important to not overheating the dough. Check the temperature, it has to be under 80F/27C. If it’s getting too warm, put ice packs under the bowl during mixing.

  • Transfer the dough to container, cover and let ferment at 28-30C for 3-4 hours. During that time dough has to rise 3 times (3x)
  • When dough have risen, transfer it to the fridge for 30 min to chill.
  • Meanwhile measure all the ingredients for second dough.

Second dough

  • Dissolve yeast in water, set aside.
  • Mix first dough with flour on low speed for 3-4 minutes 
  • Add sugar, knead on slow speed for 3-4 minutes. Dough should look strong and shiny.
  • Add yolks, increase the speed to medium, continue kneading for 2-3 minutes, until we’ll incorporated.
  • Add aromatic mixture and salt, keep kneading 2-3 minutes. Dough should look stronger and wrap paddle attachment.
  • Add soft butter, keep kneading 3-5 min, until all butter will be incorporated, but dough will remain kind of sticky.
  • Then it’s time to add water with yeast. Keep kneading for couple more minutes until all water will be incorporated and dough will become strong and the mixing bowl will become clear.
  • Then you can stop mixer and add inclusions (raisins, chocolate, orange peel). Turn mixer on and mix for another minute until all inclusions will be incorporated.

Note: keep monitoring the temperature of the dough. It shouldn’t go higher 80F/27C

Preshaping and shaping 

  • Turn the dough onto well buttered surface. 
  • Divide the dough in 2 equal pieces.
  • Preshape each piece. Let rest uncovered for 20 min.
  • Meanwhile prepare panettone molds, and stick 2 wooden sticks closer to the edge(see the picture)

Note: The amount of the dough should be around 1200g. Which will be enough to fill 2 panettone molds (600g each)

  • Shape the dough, by rounding und tucking all edges under.
  • Transfer shaped panettone to a tray and let proof covered at 28-30C /82-86F for 3-4 hours until the dough will reach 2cm from the top of the mold.
  • Meanwhile prepare glaze by mixing all the ingredients 
  • Preheat the oven 350F
  • Pipe the glaze on top of panettone.
  • Bake for 33-35 min, until internal temperature will reach 92C/197F
  • Remove panettone from the oven, turn it upside down, and let it hang upside down for stabilizing for 10-12 hours.

If you want to know how to prepare stiff starter (lievito madre) from liquid sourdough starter, how to properly mix the ingredients, or want to review detailed step by step panettone video instructions, please consider my Panettone for Beginners Course and Panettone Advanced Course.

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Panettone Recipe (Yeast Method)
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78 thoughts on “Panettone Recipe (Yeast Method)

  1. Hello Natasha, How big is your panettone paper mold? Is it the 750 gram mold or the 1 KG mold?

    1. Exelente receta natasha.gracias x hacernos la vida más dulce.

    2. If it helps, she’s putting 600g of dough in each mold.

      1. Yes I read that but it does not help

    3. Hi!
      I’m using 500g mold

  2. Hello again Natasha, I have one more question. If I don’t want to buy the Italian flour that you linked in this recipe can you please tell me what American flour I can substitute it for? I want to use something like King Arthur or anything that I can buy in the stores in the United States.

    1. Hi!
      You can get nice results with King Arthur bread flour

  3. For the aromatic mixture, please provide measurements for the lemon and orange zest. Is it the zest from one orange and one lemon? Thank you!

  4. Could you please supply measurements for the mold. I want to make my own. Will I be wasting my time if I try to make this with bread flour with a protein content of 11.3%? I live in South Africa (limited supplies…)Thank you so much!!

    1. Hi!
      Try to find flour about 12.5-12.7 protein content

  5. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! <3
    Obrigada ! 😀

    1. Thank you 🙏

  6. Hello Natasha,
    can I take for the glaze something different than almond flour?
    Thank you
    Yve

    1. Hi!
      Any nut flour will work

  7. Hi! I have few questions! Is this airy inside too or the crumb is more right than levito madre one? Also does it keep fresh for a week or so? And last one: can I prove it in the molds in the fridge? I only have time for the in the morning so I thought making the first and second dough in the morning then in the afternoon I would transfer it to molds and bake next morning from the fridge?

    1. Hi
      The texture of panettone with yeast, reminds more of a brioche .
      Shelf life is up to 1 week.
      And yes, you can proof them in the fridge

  8. Hi,I tried this recipe. Very impressive the 100gm pane has some vertical crumbs structures which is a surprise to me. Yet to slice the 450gm pane.

    1. Awesome!
      Thank you for your feedback 🙏

  9. To be more precise, the taste settled more intense and I begin to enjoy more this is about 10days after I kept them in airtight Tupperware on my sideboard and I did some glasa the oven springs were better than my scored in the same batch. Appreciate your sharing looking forward to more interesting panettone recipes. My pastamadre is still not ready for panettones.

    1. Thank you so much for your feedback 🙏 yes the flavor get mature in about 3-5 days.

  10. what’s the size of the panettone mols in cm or inches, I follow all directions I have two very small dough inside the pan

    1. 500 grams

    2. Hi!
      I’m using molds 500gr – 5-1/4″ x 3-3/4″

  11. Hey,
    I’ve heard that you can make biga with milk, for rich dough like brioche and such. So I was wondering if I can use the milk version for panetone, or it might end even more like a brioche?

    1. I think milk will add more if brioche structure, but I’m sure it will be delicious 😋

  12. Hi, Natasha, thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! got one question – is it fine if I place 600g of dough to 750g mold? or it’s better to recalculate all the ingredients to fill the mold to its max? thanks you!

    1. Maria, hi!
      Usually to get tall panettone I put as much Dough as mold requires.

  13. Hi Natasha! I attempted the recipe and it yielded great results. I do have a question about the recipe itself, though. Usually, in panettone recipes, I find that the amount of egg yolks in dough 2 is greater than in dough 1. In this recipe, however, the amount of yolks in dough 1 is quadrupled from what is used in dough 2. Why is that?

    Thanks!

    1. Hi!
      It’s all depends on the formula. In this recipe we need yolks in first dough, to get them fermented.

  14. Hi Natasha,
    If you just mix the glaze, it is completely runny. Or do you have to do something other than just mix?

    Thanks

    1. If it is too runny, add more almond flour 🙏

    2. Maybe you didn’t see that the egg whites are listed in grams and not per piece? That’s what happened to me 😅.

  15. Hi Natasha.

    I have a feeling I might have overfermented the biga as my first dough is not wrapping around the paddle. Do you think that might be the problem?

    1. Yes, could be the acidity from over fermented biga. Or could be the flour. (It has to be strong flour with 12% protein or more )
      Sorry.

      1. Mine as well. I let the biga ferment 12 hours (not 14) I don’t know what else might be the problem. The dough is sticking to bowl the whole time, at the end I had nothing to lose so I was adding flour, but nothing changed. 🙁

  16. Hi can I check what speed you run your mixer at? My kitchenaid broke while mixing the first dough with the paddle attachment at medium speed (usually understood to be 6) :/ Are you using a commercial mixer? From the pictures your paddle and size of bowl seems to be larger than a regular home mixer.

    1. Hi!
      Sorry to hear your KitchenAid broke.
      I have KitchenAid 6qt. Usually I don’t go higher then 4

  17. Thank you for sharing the recipe Natasha. May I know the dimension of your panettone mold for 600 gr dough? The diameter and height of the mold. Thank you.

    1. Hi! When you go to buy them just ask for the panettone molds for 500g, she put more dough because they lose 10% of their weight after baking! I hope you find my answer useful😄

  18. Hi! Loved the recipe, I’ll do it tomorrow (my first time doing panettone). Is there a reason why you put the sticks before baking? I always used to put them after baking, and then turn them upside down.
    Thank you ❤️

    1. Hi!
      There’s no difference. I’m trying to eliminate extra stress, that’s why I do sticks before.

  19. Hi Natasha,
    I wanna the panettone on Saturday, but I have already make the Biga on Tuesday night, is it OK if I keep the biga in the fridge and make the panettone on Thursday or Friday?. Thank you

  20. It’s quite evident that the baked panettone is not the same of the recipe. The last pictures of the unbaked ones show clearly a very weak lievitation and a dough which is becaming liquid that cannot produce a dome during baking, on the contrary it will collapse in the centre under the weight of the glaze.

    1. I wish I had so much confidence as you are by judging the final result of the baked product by the picture of a dough.

    2. Very true of these. You don’t need to look at dome of the dough too. Evident with the different mould used.

      1. Normally, I would entertain such ideas, but she has proven, in spades, I think, that she knows how to make Panettone, so I hesitate to think she would be interested in hoodwinking us on Panettone.

  21. Hello from Brazil,
    well, thank you so much for show this recipe, here is very dificult to have a free and wonderful knowledge, ps. Sorry by my English

  22. Hi, thank you for your recipe. The daugh is amazing but I have a problem: the daugh doesn’t raise as much as it should. I’ve used instant yeast but the daugh is very stoky, stuffed, is more like a brioche. I don’t know why. After I took it from the oven the daugh was uncooked in the middle.

    1. You need to be ver careful of the temperature as she mentions in the recipe. If the dough reaches above 25C while mixing, you need to cool it. Also, be very careful of the mixer since it “gets hotter” due to the engine and, will make your dough over proof while it is mixing. Hope this comment helps.

  23. Hi! Dough didn’t raise as much as it should at the last stage, in the folds. What could I’ve done wrong? Temp?
    Thanks for this recipe!

  24. Hi Natasha, I just bake it and it turns out like a plum cake, super dense.
    In the biga step I placed it in the sun for about 20 minutes and when I went to touch it the bowl was very hot. Do you think the yeast could have been killed?
    Thank you very much, I hope your answer

  25. Hi Natasha, I just bake it and it turns out like a plum cake, super dense.
    In the biga step I placed it in the sun for about 20 minutes and when I went to touch it the bowl was very hot. Do you think the yeast could have been killed?
    Thank you very much, I hope your answer

  26. Natasha, What size is your panettone paper mold? Is it the 750-gram mold or the 1 KG mold?

  27. It’s really good recipe. Thank you very much

    1. Which flour do you use?
      Thank you so much

  28. Thank you for the recipe..I had some tecnic problem but all right. Thank so much.

  29. Ciao,prima che il panettone venga infornato di solito viene incisa una croce sulla superficie per dare sfogo.
    Come mai in questa ricetta non viene fatta?
    Grazie!

  30. Hi Natasha, I don’t have any Manitoba flour. If I make this recipe using only KAF bread flour will it still work out?

  31. Hola Natasha, muchas gracias por compartir tus recetas!!! Quiero hacer el curso de panetton de masa madre y me gustaría saber si es solo en inglés.

    saludos

  32. HELLO Natasha,
    if i don’t have a strong panettone flour for the recipe what can i replace with.

    1. Hello! If you don’t have panettone flour on hand, you can try using a combination of all-purpose flour and bread flour in equal parts as a substitute. This should help mimic the characteristics of panettone flour in your recipe. Happy baking!

  33. Hi! I’ve made panettone from your recipe many times and it turns out great every time. However, I have a small problem. When I mix biga with yolks at the beginning of the process, large lumps of biga almost always form in the dough. What am I doing wrong or how can I avoid it?

    1. I have the same problem! Please can anyone explain what to do? 🙁

    2. Hi there! I’m glad to hear that you’ve had success with the panettone recipe! It sounds like the issue you’re experiencing with the biga forming lumps in the dough could be due to mixing. Try to use paddle attachment next time, but be aware that paddle attachment does the work much quicker.

  34. I wanted to learn it so bad but mine didn’t even rise 🙁 I’m so disappointed with myself.

    1. Don’t be too hard on yourself! Baking panettone can be tricky, and it’s common for dough not to rise as expected. It could be due to factors like the temperature of your kitchen, the freshness of your yeast, or the kneading process. Keep practicing and experimenting, and you’ll get the hang of it. Don’t give up, and remember that every baking experience is a learning opportunity!

  35. Hello, what does it mean by soak the aromatics overnight? Do you soak them in the honey or water?

    1. Hi there! When a recipe calls for soaking aromatics overnight, it typically means to let the ingredients sit in a liquid (such as water or honey) for an extended period of time to enhance their flavors. In this case, you would soak the aromatics in either water or honey or rum, depending on the recipe instructions. This process helps infuse the flavors of the aromatics into the liquid, which can then be used in cooking or baking. Let me know if you have any other questions!T

  36. Olá Natasha, obrigada por suas receitas incríveis, maravilhosas.
    Lendo as perguntas, me surpreendi com algumas básicas, e com sua paciência e gentileza ao respondê-las.
    Penso que suas receitas sejam para quem já tem uma boa experiência com o forno e o fogão.
    Sou Angela, de Sampa, Brasil.
    “Have a happy life” 🙏🌟🌹

  37. Hello Natalya,

    I have made the panettone, very light and soft, delicious. Will be making more and putting in freezer. I used bakers bread 10% protein and added vital wheat gluten to raise protein to 14%.
    I have questions about inclusions. Other panettone recipes I have tried say to soak sultanas etc overnight. This is not mentioned in your recipe.Is it ok to soak them or will this make the dough too wet? Also the aromatics weigh more than the 25g required in recipe ( 30g honey plus zest of one orange and one lemon plus 2 tsp vanilla essence) I don’t have vanilla pod. Should I put all of it in?
    Thank you

    1. Hello,

      I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed making the panettone and that it turned out light and delicious! As for soaking the inclusions such as sultanas, it is not necessary to soak them overnight for this recipe. Adding soaked inclusions is a great idea.

      Regarding the aromatics, use only the amount mentioned in recipe. The rest can be used for brioche or some other baking.

  38. Why doesn’t this Panettone recipe have dry malt powder like your other Panettone recipe (the one that uses the stiff sourdough starter)?

  39. Is the reason you use citrus zest instead of “pastas” that “pastas” have bitterness? The way I saw an Italian baker make the pasta made me think it had to have some bitterness.

  40. Making the Biga, it was quite dry. I read, elsewhere, Biga should not be caused to develop gluten, but, in this case, because it was so dry, there is no question the gluten developed. Is it really meant to be 375g Strong Flour and 185g Water?

    1. I read (but this was on a pizza blog) the Biga should be out for 2-3hrs, then placed in the fridge for 18-20hrs if room temp is +18°C / 64.4°F.

      Would the same apply in this case as well?

  41. Hi there, could you please help me figure it out: would it be possible to use Manitoba flour for the whole process (biga and the second dough)?

    1. Professional bakers in Italy specifically call for Manitoba brand wheat flour, so, even though I’m not Natasha, I would venture to say so.

  42. My Kitchen Aid Pro broke on step #1. wow

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