HOW TO EAT PANETTONE
Panettone is baked in a paper mold and rises into a sugar-crusted dome. Photo by Sue O’Bryan
Properly made fresh Panettone is one of the joys of the Holiday season. We’re not talking about the dried-out tasteless cake that pops up in supermarkets around Christmas.
Grand Central Bakery Panettone is tender, gently sweet, and beautifully wrapped - like a glorious edible Christmas gift.
It takes a full three days to make this dome-shaped Italian bread, and here’s why.
HOW TO MAKE PANETTONE
Start with local ingredients. We use NW grown unbleached and whole-grain flours from Camas Country Mill and Small’s Family Farm, house-candied organic Valencia orange peel, flame raisins, and plump Vincent Family Farms Oregon Cranberries.
Mix the dough - careful, now! Panettone dough is enriched with butter and eggs, swirled with candied citrus, dried fruit, vanilla, and honey. This requires several stages of very gentle mixing with a rest in between.
Form and finish. We portion the dough into special wax paper molds, where it rests again and rises into a beautiful dome. Before baking, the tops are scored and brushed with beaten egg.
There’s more! To keep this light, delicate bread from collapsing as it cools, we hang it upside down to cool. Tricky but very effective!
The final step: Wrapping the cooled loaves in a pretty package for giving.
Now let’s talk about how to enjoy it.
Each Panettone loaf is pierced with a skewer and hung upside for several hours to cool. This keeps it from caving in on itself.
WHEN TO EAT PANETTONE
Panettone is delicious for breakfast, as a snack or a bite with tea, or after dinner with a glass of sparkling or dessert wine.
Panettone keeps exceptionally well, and some say it improves with age.
HOW TO SERVE PANETTONE
Slice into thin pieces. Use a serrated knife and going top to bottom like a cake. Serve with your favorite warm beverage.
Tear and dip. No need for a knife; just set it out, tear off pieces, and pour a glass of milk for dunking.
Heat it up. Not necessary, but delicious. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Unwrap packaging but keep the Panettone in its paper mold. Heat in oven (not microwave) for 5-10 minutes.
Toast it and butter it. Great if you want a little at a time. Enjoy and toasted slice now, keep the rest for later.
Make French Toast. You thought Challah made great French Toast? Get ready for your new favorite special breakfast. Syrup optional!
How to be a perfect guest
Give Panettone as a host or hostess gift and you will always be invited back.
Find Panettone starting early December through Christmas eve, or while supplies last. Available for in-store* purchase; order online for Christmas or New Year’s.
*Also available at PCC and Metropolitan Markets in Seattle.
Wrapped and ready for giving, Panettone is a welcome host or hostess gift.