I learned a lot about panettone baking this year. My bakes became more consistent, and I was able to experiment with different concepts and approaches. (It’s a good idea to nail down a basic recipe and process before embarking on experimentation)
Panettone has so many variables, that it’s good to concentrate on changing only a few things with each bake. Ingredient amounts, hydration, mixing technique, lievito madre maintenance and use, acidity control, shaping, fermenting, handling, proofing, baking……… My advice? Keep notes and dated photographs for reference if possible. For instance, I might experiment only with the way I am baking, changing the temperature every X minutes, etc.
Late in the year, I installed a new oven. This proved to be both a challenge and a game-changer. I came to appreciate the effect of convection oven size as it affects the bake.
I thought a lot about ingredient balances, which turned out to be a controversial subject. The world of panettone bakers is Extremely competitive, and some of the maestros out there are quite negative toward information that doesn’t reinforce their current thinking. For instance, one person insists that it’s impossible to have a stable sweet stiff starter (I know this to be untrue), another one claims that it’s impossible to influence fermentation and the only thing that matters is prefermented flour percentage. Another says that the lievito madre balance is the only factor that controls the outcome. They are dismissive of each other, jealous of success, secretive with their information, and sensitive to perceived criticism.
Since I am not a maestro, I’m free from most of this kind of thinking. I have taken inspiration from some, and have ignored others. For instance, thinking about chocolate panettone, I tried a few recipes that were either too bland or too heavy. Drawing on what I’ve been learning about ingredient relationships, I developed my own recipe that was quite pleasing (not sharing this today, but soon)
I’m going to do some experiments with the PFF angle, since the enzymatic action that takes place in the first dough seems key to texture development. Then I’ll revisit the chocolate panettone recipe, though it is really very good right now.
I was also very happy with my Classico, which came out very consistently and well.
Onward and upward in 2026! - Sue
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...look as good as any maestro's.
Thank you so much Moe!! Much appreciated.
Sue, your panettoni look amazing! I'm in Italy for the holidays and been checking out loads of them at every bakery and pasticceria ive been in to and, in all honesty, I've not seen any that looked so perfect as these here. Maximum respect!
Would love to have your account of your you got to this level and the knowledge you have built up along the way.
That’s incredible to hear, thank you so much! I will be writing more about this, but it has been a multi-year process, building slowly on experience and knowledge. I have learned from other people, but mostly I have learned through many baking cycles, noting what works, what is important, etc. I am hoping to share specific and clear information so that others don’t have to spend years learning this!
I suspect that there is a lot of superstition out there and I'm looking forward to you cutting away some of it.
TomP
You’re absolutely right, there is a huge amount of what amounts to superstition about panettone. If you consider how a traditional food develops, this is almost inevitable. I started making cheese in 2008, and what I learned about the history of cheesemaking is applicable to this: people did something that worked, then told others to do the same. IMO, much of the tradition around lievito madre falls into this category. Ian Lowe is a good source of science-vs-tradition info, and others are trying different approaches to both understand and improve on baking methods. It’s an exciting time to be a baker!
Sue your panettone are really something that the rest of us can strive for, they are so impressive to see. We live across the street from an Eataly and I can say that so far, none of the panettone I’ve purchased and tried from them are any where near the quality of the crumb that you achieve.
Benny
That is so nice to hear! I have sometimes wondered whether the commercial panettoni have improved over the years. My only experience with Eataly was in New York when my daughter was in school there. It was such an amazing place!
Happy New Year! This is dessert tonight - Sue
Like others here, I look up to what you've achieved with your Panettone for one day when I attempt making them.
Mostly, I think you've got an excellent grasp of the ingredients that you use and your flavour combinations look inspiring.
-Jon
Yes, understanding the construction of panettone recipes is key to success. Thank you for the kind words.
What a shame about the maestros. Perhaps they are missing the point.
Yes, many of the maestros are missing the point, if sharing information is important! Much of the knowledge about panettone has to come from reading between the lines, and from hands-on experience.
Although many people offer classes, and I have taken several, mastery of the craft is elusive. Panettone is paradoxical: a non-sour sourdough bread that seems like a cake, with alveoli that resemble high-hydration bread, which it is not….
I have been reading about panettone for years now, but have never had the patience / courage to attack it. I am happy you are both doing it and writing about it!
I've said this before - and worth repeating - you can't really reproduce anothers methods and materials. Fortunately - as a baker - what we do is what we do. Others can succeed and do - but it really is a different beast. Enjoy!
to keep dated photos to match up with your notes. Thank you for being generous with the results of your experiments and what you are learning. Dismissive, jealous, secretive and sensitive is the very opposite of most of the rest of the bread world, what a shame.
As always, your panettoni look spectacular.
Happy New Year :)
I hope to help anyone who is interested in panettone baking… and of course I just keep experimenting. My next bake should be interesting, it will either flop or be a big success, we’ll see. I’m going to try tiramisu flavor, see if I can replicate that. Also, I have a hunch about the relationship between PFF and what Roy is doing, we’ll see!
Regards, Sue
but also challenging. I look forward to seeing how you create that.
Edited: Settepani's PFF was 14% from starter + 69% added to primo (total 83%) and that worked well for my first few bakes, but then the primos started moving too fast and I reduced it to 12% + 70% (82%), which seems to be in line with a majority of recipes out there. I think I also lowered the fermentation temperature for the primo a few bakes later.
I have a different starter now, so who knows what it is going to want. Not sure how that affects any other qualities, so I'm also looking forward to what you find out.
If I discover anything, I’ll let you know!
Roy made a tiramisu panettone this year… I have to think about the mascarpone element. Coffee and chocolate should be straightforward.
The PFF angle is to get a modification on the elasticity of the proteins without destroying them……