This miniaturized version of traditional Italian panettone Christmas bread yields soft, golden, and fluffy orange clouds. These soft citrusy panettone buns have a heavenly texture and are the perfect balance of sweetness and a delightful bright flavor. It's perfectly moist without being doughy, which you get from lots of gluten development :) You can also make this as one big loaf! Although traditional panettone makes days to make this is "kind of" a shortcut recipe that can be made in a half-day. Even though the dough is very enriched and difficult to work with, i found these quite fun to make. Please note that this is a very tedious recipe so avoid it if you're new to bread-making!!!
The original recipe is from: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/panettone-muffins
Ingredients:
250 g all-purpose flour
7 g quick yeast/instant yeast
1 orange, zested (about 2 tsp. or 4 g)
A pinch of salt (1/8 tsp.)
100 ml or g 2 or 3% milk, warm
2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract (3 g)
50 g sugar
100 g unsalted butter , softened
100 g raisins
100 g golden raisins/sultanas
100 g candied orange and/or lemon peel
Toppings: Milk for brushing, coarse sugar or nuts
Directions:
Note: You can soak the raisins overnight in 2-3 Tbsp. of water if they're very dry. This is what I did.
Add the flour, salt, orange zest, and yeast to a bowl and mix together.
Add in the warm milk and mix it in. It will be dry.
In a separate bowl whisk together 2 large eggs and the vanilla. Add it to the flour mixture. Mix until no dry spots remain, then take onto a clean surface and knead for 8-10 minutes. It will be very sticky, so I recommend using the tips of your fingers to grab and fold the dough over itself repeatedly. It should get slightly less sticky and more firm and elastic as you knead. Another tip is to occasionally scrape the excess dough off the counter and add it back to the dough.
Shape the dough into a ball, place in a buttered bowl, cover and let rise somewhere warm for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. I use my oven with the light turned on.
Once risen, take out onto a clean surface and knead a few times to de-gas it. Then add the sugar and egg yolk and knead for about 1 minute. Then, begin to add the butter, about 1 Tbsp. at a time and combine/knead it in before adding the next piece. This will be messy but that's okay. Gradually mixing in the butter takes about 5-10 minutes.
Then knead the dough for 20 minutes, using the method mentioned earlier, or the slap-and-fold method. You'll notice that it will still tear but it will get a smoother and shiny surface.
Smoosh the dough out into a rectangle and add the raisins and candied peel. Then fold it in and knead for about 5 minutes to incorporate the fruit as best as you can, some will still fall out which is okay.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a buttered bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until about doubled in size.
When the dough is risen, take it out and punch it down to de-gas it. Cut into 9 or 12 pieces and shape into little round buns. You can place these in cupcake liners or a greased muffin tin. I used tall liners so I got 9 buns, but if using regular liners make 12 buns.
Cover with plastic wrap loosely and let rise about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 350°F when the dough is almost ready.
I brushed mine with milk, topped with coarse sugar, and scored the tops, but you can leave them plain or just use milk or even the leftover egg white.
Then bake for 18-25 minutes. Check on the bottoms about 15 minutes into baking. If they're browning quickly then add a room temperature sheet pan underneath (or move them higher in the oven. The buns are ready when they're golden all over and the internal temperature is 200°F.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minute. Then cool on a wire rack for 30-60 minutes before eating.
Makes 9-12 buns. Store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze leftovers.
The ingredients I used.
Add the flour, zest, salt, and yeast.
And mix together.
Then add the warm milk.
And mix the milk in.
In another bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla.
Then add in. You will mix until all the flour is moistened.
When the eggs are mixed in it will look like a sticky mass. Now start kneading.
After kneading for 10 minutes. Smoother but still slightly sticky.
Dough before the first rise.
Dough after the first rise. So puffy!!!
Take it out and then you'll add the egg yolk and sugar.
Once you've started mixing in the yolk and sugar you'll start gradually adding in the butter.
About halfway through adding all the butter. It's very messy :D
After adding all the butter. Still very sticky so next we'll knead it.
After kneading for 20 minutes. Yes it's still slightly sticky but it has a better shape to it!
Squish it into a rectangle or square and add all the fruit.
After folding in and kneading in the fruit.
Before the second rise.
After the second rise! So puffy despite all the butter and fruit, which means we did a good job of kneading :)
Cut it into 9 (or 12) pieces.
Take one piece at a time.
And shape it into a ball!
Place into a lined or greased muffin pan. Then cover and let rise one last time for about 1 hour.
After the third and final rise. I think I could have let mine grow a little more, so I scored them instead.
You can choose to decorate them before baking!
I brushed them with milk.
Added some coarse sugar.
And scored them with my sharp bread lame.
Before baking.
After baking! So golden and amazing!!!
Let these gorgeous buns cool on a rack.
Then unwrap and enjoy one, or two, or more ;)
Just look how amazing that texture is!!!
Remember to store them in an airtight container and enjoy!!!