Sourdough panettone, home batch
A tall Lombard Christmas bread enriched with butter, yolks and candied citrus, raised first with refreshed sourdough and then proofed in a paper mould.
Modern method
Overnight panettone: King Arthur version
Panettone · Overnight panettone
A modern instant-yeast panettone with an overnight flour-and-water preferment and mixed dried fruit. It is separate from specialist sourdough panettone methods.
Two fermentation routes
Traditional-style specialist panettone can involve refreshed sourdough, successive enriched doughs and suspended cooling. That sequence belongs to its own formula. This household version uses an instant-yeast preferment without eggs, then adds enrichment the following day.
Its mixed dried fruit and flavouring options are a modern variation, rather than a claim to reproduce every Milanese panettone.
Sources for this section
History
PJ Hamel's modern overnight formula, updated April 2026. The bread's Lombard association and a separate specialist sourdough method are documented by GialloZafferano; neither establishes an earliest historical date.
Ingredients
Yield 1 large loaf · Scaling: source batch only
All-purpose flourPreferment.
90 g
Instant yeastPreferment.
0.3 mL0.06 tsp as recorded
WaterPreferment; cool.
74 g
All-purpose flourFinal dough.
270 g
WaterFinal dough; lukewarm.
57 g
Large eggsFinal dough.
2
ButterSoftened.
57 g
Fiori di SiciliaOr replace with 1 tsp vanilla plus ⅛ tsp orange oil.
2.5 mL½ tsp as recorded
Instant yeastFinal dough: 2¼ tsp SAF Gold OR 1 tbsp regular instant yeast; choose one.
Amount not stated
Table saltFinal dough.
8 g
Granulated sugarFinal dough.
67 g
Golden raisins
85 g
Dried apricotsSlivered.
64 g
Dried cranberries
85 g
Dried pineappleChopped.
71 g
Orange or lemon zestChoose one.
30 mL2 tbsp as recorded
Method
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Raw flour
Raw grain flour can carry harmful bacteria.
Hazard sourceRaw eggs in dough
Raw eggs can carry Salmonella before baking.
Hazard sourceDo not taste raw dough. Keep flour away from ready-to-eat foods and clean hands, utensils and surfaces after handling.
Control sourceDo not taste raw dough. Keep raw eggs and dough separate from ready-to-eat foods. Wash hands, bowls, utensils and surfaces after handling them; bake according to the recipe.
Control sourceThe 190°F centre reading is the recipe's baking cue, not an independently validated microbiological critical limit. Brown colour and hollow sound do not prove safety. The publisher suggests wrapping after complete cooling and up to one week at room temperature; that is household quality advice, not a validated shelf-life guarantee.
- Mix preferment flour, yeast and cool water; cover for 8–12 hours.
- Add remaining dough ingredients except fruit and zest. Knead by hand, mixer or bread machine until soft and smooth.
- Cover; rise 1–1½ hours until puffy, not necessarily doubled. Deflate gently and knead in fruit and zest.
- Round and place in a tall straight-sided 1½–2 US-quart panettone pan. Cover; rise about 1 hour, until just above the rim.
- Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, then 375°F for 10 minutes, then 350°F for 25–35 minutes. Tent with foil if browning too quickly. The recipe's centre-temperature cue is 190°F.
- Cool completely before wrapping.
Conditions
Yield1 large loaf
Active time20 min
Fermentation10–14.5 h
Temperature controlAmbient, monitored
Places
Lombardy
Documented preparation · Region evidenceRegional bread association, not a claim that this American household formula originated there.
Related
Variants
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Sources
King Arthur BakingRecipe
Overnight PanettoneModern instant-yeast formula, flour/water preferment, fruit, yeast alternatives, pan capacity, rises, staged bake and cooling.
Cited in: Two fermentation routes
GialloZafferanoIdentity · Geography · Method comparison
PanettoneLombardy association and distinct specialist staged sourdough/cooling process; not combined with the modern method.
Cited in: Two fermentation routes
U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationSafety
Handling Flour Safely: What You Need to KnowRaw flour hazards and handling.
Centers for Disease Control and PreventionSafety
Raw Flour and DoughUncooked flour and raw eggs can carry germs; do not eat raw dough; follow recipe baking directions; keep raw ingredients separate from ready-to-eat foods; wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling.