The star of Christmas in Italy and at Carluccio's and a Great Taste Award Winner. Light and delicate sponge made with plenty of butter dried fruit, candied citrus peel & coated in a hazelnut glaze.
Our producers, Signora Audasso and Signor Minetti, have been working with Carluccio's for 25 years and only produce panettone from September to December, making these even more special.
It is the largest of Italian Christmas cakes, but it is difficult to make at home as it requires a very long time, much mixing and kneading The first dough is made with flour, eggs, butter and sugar and is left to prove overnight. The following morning the dried fruit and candied peel are mixed into the dough. The dough is then weighed out and poured into the pirottini, paper cases and then left to prove for 4 hours. The panettone are then baked in the oven for about 50 minutes - 1 hour. The temperature of the oven is critical as the panettone should be dark brown on the outside and fluffy and moist on the insides.
Once out of the oven they are then left to cool for 14/16 hours. During this time, they are stored upside down to prevent them from collapsing on cooling.
One of the key elements of our Panettone is the natural yeast, “mother” yeast as it is called in Italian. The starter used in our Panettone actually a living product, nurtured with care and patience over decades. When a part of the yeast is used, the "yeast master", whose role in the bakery is to look after and multiply the yeast, adds flour and water to boost further fermentation. At the end of the production cycle in December, the yeast is cooled down, to be "awakened" the following season, bringing it back to a warmer temperature in a process can require weeks.
