My Choco-chip and Walnut Panettone for the Daring Baker's!! Yes, I am the new member!!

Yes!! I have finally jumped in the Baker's bandwagon. This one being the biggest of all. I had applied to be their member in October and never received a reply till last month. I thought probably they carefully choose their members, not allowing novice bakers like me. But it all turned out a lag due to their updated website. And here I am very late but finally with my first DB challenge!

The most wonderful thing about these challenges are the regional bakes that we get to learn. I do not even know how to pronounce Panettone lest ever heard of them. As I learnt, Panettone is a traditional Italian Christmas bread. It is a type of sweet bread loaf originally from Milan. Though many variations are available, traditionally it contains raisins, candied orange, citron and lemon zest.

This challenge was given by Marcellina who blogs from Marcellina in Cucina. She allowed us to be innovative and change the filling. My immediate thought was to try a choco-chip and walnut filling. What else could you expect from me!! 

Let me admit that this sure was a challenge as I spent literally the entire day in the preparation. The recipe is pretty easy but requires a lot of time. The dough needs to be rested long to gain the famous Panettone height. And it definitely is worth the wait. My bread rose like a dream and attained such an amazing height that I got in trouble while baking as I have a small oven. The baking tray had to be kept in the lowest rack as otherwise my Panettone wouldn't fit in and because of it I burnt my Panettne bottom. I wanted to try them as muffins so I baked just two and they attained a rich beautiful brown hue.

Ingredients: I halved the recipe

Sponge:

• 1 1/8 tsp Instant yeast
• 1/6 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour

First Dough:

• 1 1/8 tsp Instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tbsp warm water
• 1 egg
• 1 1/8 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup butter

Second Dough:

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Filling:

• 1/4 cup choco-chips
• 1/4 cup walnuts

Procedure:

Sponge:

Mix yeast and water in a small bowl and allow to stand for 10 mins until creamy. Mix in the flour and cover with a plastic wrap or with a damp muslin cloth and allow to double in size for about 30 mins.

First Dough:

Mix yeast and warm water in a  large bowl and allow to stand for 10 mins. Mix in the sponge and beat well with a wooden spoon. Stir in the egg, flour and sugar. Mix in the butter well. Cover with a plastic wrap or a damp muslin cloth and allow to double in size for an hour.

Second Dough:

Into the first dough mix in egg, sugar, honey and vanilla extract with a wooden spoon. Mix in the butter and add the flour. Stir until smooth. The dough will be soft at this stage. Turn it out on a well floured surface and knead till it holds shape. Do not knead in too much flour.

First Rise:

Oil a large bowl and plop in your dough. Cover with a plastic wrap or a damp muslin cloth and let it rise in a warm place till triple in size for about 4 hours.

Filling and Final Rise:

Roll the dough in a rough oval shape and sprinkle half of both the choco-chips and chopped walnuts. Roll up the dough in a log. Press out again in an oval shape and sprinkle the remaining choco-chips and walnuts. Roll up in a log shape again and make it into a ball.

Line your baking tray with butter paper. Cut  6  long strips of butter paper and arrange them in a star shape and staple in the center. Plop the dough in the center and fold all the strips on the dough wrapping it.  Now make a collar out of the butter paper and staple it. Slip it over the dough and attach the strips of paper that covered the dough to the collar with staples. 

To see the step by step illustration please visit Gayathri's space here. She has given some beautiful illustrations for an amazing eggless variation.

Cut an 'x' on the top of the dough and let it rise for another 2 hours.

Baking:

Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius. Cut another 'x' on the top of dough and place a blob of butter.

Place your Panettoni and bake for 10 mins. 

Reduce temperature to 180 degree and bake for another 10 mins.

Reduce the temperature further to 160 degree and bake for 30 mins or till the tops are browned well and a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

This recipe is getting Yeastspotted

Happy Traditional baking

Amrita