With Christmas celebrations just in touching distance, it’s nearly time to indulge in all the tasty treats that come hand in hand with the festive season. Mince pies, candy canes, gingerbread, stollen – and well, the list could go on. However, a classic Italian panettone is a Christmas must-have and is definitely a people pleaser! Take a look at our easy to follow, overnight panettone recipe to help you get into the Christmas spirit.

Overnight mix

• 90g unbleached all-purpose flour
• A pinch of instant yeast
• 55ml cold water 

Dough

• Overnight mix
• 330g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 55ml lukewarm water
• 2 large eggs
• 56g softened butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon of orange oil
• 1 tablespoon of instant yeast
• 1 ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 90g sugar
• 90g raisins
• 90g dried apricots
• 90g chopped and dried pineapple
• 2 tablespoons of orange or lemon zest

Method

• To make the overnight mix, combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and allow to rest overnight
• To make the dough, combine all the dough ingredients apart from the dried fruit and zest, and mix and knead them together until you’ve made a soft dough
• Allow the dough to rise covered in cling film for 90 minutes, until its nice and fluffy
• Knead the fruit and zest in to the dough until it’s slightly deflated
• Roll the dough into a ball and place it into a panettone pan
• Cover the pan and leave to rest for 1 hour (until the dough has risen slightly over the top of the tin)
• Bake in a preheated oven 400°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and bake for an additional 10 minutes
• Reduce the heat again to 350°F, and cover the dough with tin foil and bake for a further 30 minutes
• The panettone should be a deep brown when cooked, and sound hollow when tapped
• Remove the panettone from the oven and cool completely
• Store in an enclosed tin for up to week (you can freeze for longer!) and enjoy!