Bread Machine Pannetone -Italian Christmas Bread
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup rum
3 teaspoons yeast
3 cups bread flour
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup lukewarm water
1 stick ( 1/2 cup) butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts
3 tablespoons candied fruit cake mix
Place the raisins in a small saucepan with the rum and heat gently. Remove from heat and let soak at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Drain raisins well. (Save the now-flavored rum for other recipes, or discard).
Add ingredients in the order specified in your machine’s sweet-bread instructions. For example, in my machine you would put the yeast in first, followed by the flour, sugar and salt, then add the wet ingredients – water, margarine, egg, vanilla and almond extracts and lemon or orange zest.
Spray inside top of the bread machine globe with cooking spray in case bread rises to the very top – this will keep it from sticking. Start machine. At the beep that indicates the time for adding stir-in ingredients, add the raisins, nuts and candied fruit. Set for the cycle given for sweet dough. Allow bread to cool completely before slicing. Makes about 18 servings.
To make without a bread machine: Follow instructions for plumping raisins. Make a sponge by combining yeast with 1/2 cup of the warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar; let stand until yeast is dissolved and foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of flour and the salt. Mix by hand or on low speed with mixer until dough comes together. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
In a bowl, stir together remaining water, sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extracts and citrus zest. Stir in remaining flour. Mix with yeast mixture and knead for about 7 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic and not sticky. Knead in butter, then fruits. Let rise again until nearly doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Grease a 6-cup pannetone mold or a clean 24-ounce coffee can. Punch dough down and place in prepared mold. Cover with plastic and let rise until nearly doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
Bake in a 350-degree oven until bread is deep golden brown and tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Unmold onto a rack and let cool before serving.
Per serving: 211 calories (35 percent from fat), 8.3 g fat (3.8 g saturated, 2.9 g monounsaturated), 26.4 mg cholesterol, 4.3 g protein, 26.7 g carbohydrates, 1.3 g fiber, 207 mg sodium.
Source: Miami Herald newspaper, November 18, 2001