Panettone

Panettone is an Italian type of sweet bread originally from Milan.

Method

1. Grease a panettone tin or a 20cm deep cake tin.
2. Mix the warm milk, yeast and 1tsp of the sugar together and leave to stand for a couple of minutes to activate the yeast.
3. In a mixing bowl add the remaining sugar, butter and vanilla and beat together until it is light and creamy. Add the lemon and orange zest.
4. Add the eggs one by one, making sure they are properly incorporated each time. If the mix starts to curdle add a teaspoon of the flour.
5. In another bowl mix the flour with a pinch of salt and shape like a well in the middle. Pour in the yeast mixture and then the butter and egg mixture. Fold it all together and then knead the dough fo about 5 minutes.
6. Pour the dough out on a floured surface and keep kneading for another 10 minutes. If the dough is sticking to your hands or the worktop sprinkle a small amount of flour and keep working it. Place in a slightly oiled bowl, cling film the top and leave to prove for 2 hours.
7. While the dough is proving, place the raisins and sultanas in a pan with the rum and heat gently for 5 to 7 minutes or until the fruit has absorbed the liquid. Put to the side and leave to cool down.
8. When the dough has risen, tip it out onto a floured surface and knead for another 5 minutes before gradually kneading in the soaked fruit and mixed peel. Shape the dough into a ball and place in the prepared tin. Cover with cling film and leave to prove for 1 hour.
9. Heat the oven to 180ºC. Mix together the almonds, caster sugar and egg white and gently brush the top of the panettone before baking in the oven for 40-50 minutes. The panettone should be golden in colour, have risen and then putting a skewer in the middle it should come out clean.
10. Leave to cool down for 10 minutes before taking it out of the tin. Once completely cooled down, dust with icing sugar an cut into wedges to serve.