There's something abundantly festive about the puffed dome of panettone bread. In this traditional Italian holiday favorite, a sweet yeast dough is studded with golden raisins and jewel-toned glacéed citron. Ingredients DOUGH 1 cup golden raisins (5 oz) 1/2 cup sweet Marsala 1/2 cup warm milk (105 - 115°F) 2/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar 4 teaspoons active dry yeast (from two 1/4-oz packages) 3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 3 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes 1 large egg yolk 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened, plus 1 cup diced fine-quality candied citron (not a supermarket brand; 6 oz) EGG WASH 1 tablespoon water

Instructions
Special equipment: a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; 2 (10- to 15-oz) clean coffee cans (paper or plastic labels removed); parchment paper

MAKE DOUGH:
Simmer raisins in Marsala in a small saucepan 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until cooled to room temperature.

Meanwhile, stir together warm milk and 2 teaspoons sugar in bowl of mixer. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) Add 1/4 cup flour and beat at medium speed until combined. Add whole eggs, yolk, zest, lemon juice, salt, and remaining 2/3 cup sugar and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low, then mix in remaining 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Increase speed to medium-high, then gradually beat in butter, a few pieces at a time, and continue to beat until dough is shiny and forms strands from paddle to bowl, 4 to 6 minutes. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.) Drain raisins, discarding Marsala, then add to dough along with candied citron and mix at low speed until incorporated.

Scrape dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours.

While dough rises, generously butter coffee cans and line bottom and side of each with parchment (use a round for bottom and a rectangle for side).

Punch down dough with lightly floured hands and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Halve dough and scoop 1 half into each can, pressing gently to expel any air bubbles. Loosely cover cans with lightly buttered plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until dough reaches top of cans, 2 to 3 hours. (Alternatively, let dough rise in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours; bring to room temperature, 3 to 4 hours, before baking.)

BAKE PANETTONE:
Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

Beat together yolk and water and lightly brush top of dough with egg wash. Bake until tops are deep golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped (remove from cans first), 35 to 40 minutes. (Firmly thump bottoms of inverted cans to remove.) Transfer loaves to a rack and discard parchment. Cool to room temperature.


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Yields: 2 Loaves
     Gourmet magazine, December 2006, page 138

notes:  * Panettone keeps, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, frozen 3 weeks.

* This is a delicious recipe and reminds me of my days in Italy. I used mixed candied fruit from the supermarket and it is fine. I had no trouble with the coffee cans lined with parchment - the loaves came out easily. One trouble I had was the dome breaking away when removing the loaf from the coffee can. After the first batch I covered the tops of the loaves with foil after about ten minutes in the oven and that cut down on the burning on top. The last batch of dough was rather slack and dripped down the outside of the cans so I've made a note to add more flour (if needed) to make the dough a little stiffer.

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