Easy Panettone Recipe (Italian Christmas Bread)

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1. 1Step 1: Preheat your oven to 104°F (40°C) and turn off the heat but leave the oven light on.
2. 2Step 2: Transfer the yeast, one tablespoon of the flour and one tablespoon of the sugar to a small bowl and mix to combine. Add the warm milk, stir to combine and let it foam for 5-10 minutes.
3. 3Step 3: In the bowl of your electric mixer add the rest of the flour, the sugar, the zest, and the salt and mix to combine. Add the eggs, the yeast mixture, and the vanilla and mix with the dough attachment until all of the flour is absorbed. Cover the bowl with cling film and let it rest in the oven until the dough is tripled in volume (2-4 hours).
4. 4Step 4: Deflate the dough and knead with the dough attachment for 5 minutes. Start adding the butter gradually until incorporated. You may have to stop and scrape the bowl a few times. The dough will be very soft. Continue kneading until it becomes very elastic and smooth. Add the dried fruit (and the chocolate chips, if using) and knead for one more minute.
5. 5Step 5: Oil your hands and your working surface (or rub them with some butter). Transfer the dough to your working surface and shape a ball. Transfer the ball to the Panettone mold, and score a cross with a sharp knife. Brush the surface with some milk or melted butter, cover with cling film and let it rest in the oven until tripled in volume (it is best to use a ruler and measure the height of the dough before and after the rise). It should take 2-3 hours.
6. 6Step 6: When the Panettone is almost ready, take it out of the oven and remove the cling film. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean (it can take longer if you use a cake pan). Cover the surface with foil if you notice it browns too fast. Take it off the oven and let it cool on a rack. Slice and eat!