Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, December 2008
Ingredients:
1 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons gold rum
2 tablespoons hot water
3-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon warm honey
12-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter (10-1/2 tablespoons softened and cut into tablespoons; 1 tablespoon melted, 1 tablespoon chilled)
Preparation:
1. In the small bowl, soak the raisins in the rum and 2 tablespoons hot water, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 8 hours. I also have forgotten to soak raisins overnight so I even have let them soak for just 30 minutes.
2. In the bowl of the stand mixer, mix the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, lemon zest, and vanilla bean at low speed.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, 2/3 cup lukewarm water, and honey.
4. While the mixer runs at low speed, pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Increase speed to medium-low and continue mixing.
5. Add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing completely before adding each. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
6. Drain the raisins, and discard the liquid. Stir the raisins with the melted butter. Stir into the dough with a wooden spoon.
7. Place the dough in the large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a cold oven with the door closed for about 12 to 15 hours, until the dough is nearly tripled in volume.
8. Discard the vanilla bean. Rub your hands with flour, sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with some flour, and turn out onto a floured board. Sprinkle a little more flour onto the dough.
9. Flatten the dough and fold the edges into the center.
10. Place seam side down into the panettone mold. Cover with a damp tea towel (not terry cloth) ( I forgot this step and used plastic wrap and it worked fine too) and let rise in a draft-free spot at room temperature about 3 to 5 hours, until dough is just above the top of the mold. If it doesn’t rise just have patience and wait a little longer. My oven has a proofer so I proofed it for 3 hours and then turned off oven and left in the oven for 6 hours longer. It was perfect!
11. Place the rack in the lower third (closer to the bottom than the middle) of the oven and preheat to 375° (If the dough is too high in the oven, the top will brown before the middle is cooked, resulting in a burned top crust.)
12. Place the dough in the mold on a baking sheet. Use a serrated knife to score and X across the entire surface of the dough. Place 1 tablespoon chilled butter in the center of the X.
13. Bake in the preheated oven about 1 to 1-1/4 hours, until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out slightly moist but not wet or doughy. The panettone will be very dark (but should not be burned). At about 45 minutes into the baking, I put a piece of foil over the panettone to avoid getting it too dark.
14. Pierce the skewers all the way through the panettone and through the papers. Hang the panettone upside down over a stock pot or between two objects of equal height. I used wooden skewers and the bread was too heavy for them. Metal skewers are better. I also skipped this step and the panettone was still very good.
More Information:
Equipment
2 small bowls
stand mixer with paddle attachment
large bowl, for rising the dough
6 x 4-inch panettone mold
baking sheet
2 (12-inch) metal skewers
Time
Rising plus prep time – 23 hours or more
Cook time – 1 hour 30 mins
Total time – 24 hours 30 mins
The following is what makes the panettone an Ischiatano one!
15. Make a pastry cream – I used this recipe from this web
16. Either make your own candied lemon peels or buy them already made. I made my own Julliene Candied Lemon Peel using the following method
17. Peel paper off of cooled panettone and slice through the middle making 2 halves.
18. Spread the Pastry Cream and put halves together
19. Make a white chocolate ganache
20. Spread the white chocolate ganache on filled panettone. and add Julienne candied lemon peel, chopped candied almonds, and a candied red cherry.
Enjoy! And pretend you are in Ischia!