Panettone
Italian Christmas brioche
I'm going to help you in making this tasty Christmas cake at home ...
Our website has had a recipe for panettone for some years. Lately I have been revisited and improved it substantially. Besides I added to my first recipe other exclusive and new recipe ideas.
Before showing you them - below - I'd like to make a preliminary analysis of the positive and negative aspects you may have in making this Italian Christmas cake at home.
Positive aspects.
It is not easy to make this cake at home. It 'a long operation that requires not only time but also a lot of patience and the careful monitoring of several factors. First of all: leavening and baking. So don't believe those people who say to you it's easy to make panettone at home!
Secondly, you can not think of getting a product like that you are used to buy.
The flavor is a little different but very tasty according to our opinion.
The cake will have a different texture of its dough compared to the industrial product.
In addition, the upper crust will be more crisp.
And finally your panettone will almost certainly less rounded on the top ;))))
If you don't want to miss its traditional curvature make this step! Freshly baked turn your cake upside down. You have to hang it upside down in the true sense of the word. In the houses of Milan people had the habit to remove their panettone from the oven and immediately after stike it with a knitting needle that was then placed between the backs of two chairs ...
But think about the satisfaction of serving the traditional Italian Christmas cake and say ... I myself did it, with my hands!
Another advantage. Being able to check the ingredients: the butter, flour, eggs ...
In fact if you prepare this cake at home you can not only choose the ingredients you prefer but also buy organic products. Very important thing if you have children.
In conclusion, the choice of making the panettone at home should not start from the idea of saving - in fact, you could also spend more - but rather by the desire to truly enter into the magical atmosphere of Christmas involving all the members of your family and especially your children. Only secondarily you should be fascinated by the challenge of being victorious in something complicated.
And then ... is panettone only a typical cake for Christmastime? the pastry shops and industries of Milan in Italy are also proposing it as a summer cake. All over the world the gluttons will be happy! I personally like this idea. The panettone takes high temperatures to leaven well and so is there a better month than August? In winter we are forced to warm it slightly before serving, to taste better. This operation is necessary for the great amount of butter. In summer there is no need to do this.
Finally, you can read some of the recipes we are used to do in our kitchen. We tested them several times!
In the first case the panettone is made with fresh yeast instead of sourdough. Actually, the handmade panettone may not be made with it because it is really hard to find it. Once the bakers sold it but now many of them use commercial yeast and then ...
The second was created for those, like Carlo and I, who love desserts made with spelt flour. It's another exclusive recipe of ours. Try it and let us know what you think about.
Loretta
Are you planning your Christmas party? Consult our page "Christmas Planet". Here you'll be able to find: printable free or personalized Christmas greeting cards, invitation cards, all you have to know about gifts, D.I.Y or/and simple decorations, traditional Italian recipes, Italian menus, menu cards, placecards, the best way to setting the table ...
This page is being updated every day with new ideas to make your Christmas party the best.
Impress your guests with our ideas!
How to decorate your home for Christmas...
Christmas decorations and trees...
Xmas menu, Italy-style?
What are the typical cakes in Italy?
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The author Loretta Sebastiani lives in Italy (IT)
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