TBB: Golden Orange Panettone

I'm not very familiar with Panettone. I have seen them during Christmas at the stores, but I have not bought even once since they are usually expensive.  The only time I ate it was when someone gave it to me and the other time when I went Italy many years back but that was before I bake, so I didn't take note of what Panettone was supposed to be like and I have since forgotten exactly how it was.  

Since this recipe has so many steps, I decided to double up my recipe so that in case I fail one dough, I'll still have the next dough as a backup. 

On Friday night, I made the Biga (somehow I lost the photos of my Biga)..that was the easiest part..LOL!  And I left in it my fridge to rest for 3 days.  I used a mixture of King Arthur's BF & Pillsbury APF.  

On Monday I mixed the with rest of the ingredients and whisked it into liquid to make the Starter.

Then I sprinkled the rest of the dry ingredient on top of the starter and left in the fridge till next day.

I came home and placed the rest of the liquid ingredients and knead with mixer. 

Until it turned like this..shiny and glossy..and when you pull it..it forms a really thin membrane...so that's when I think it is ready to rest..

Then I added the raisins & citrus peel....I couldn't find any orange oil and was too late for me to order from Amazon, so I used orange zest instead and soaked it with Triple Sec/Raisins as instructed in the recipe.  

My mixer bowl was too big for the fridge. So I  had to split the dough into 2 batches at this point. 

I made markings..

After 1 hour, the dough expanded really quickly..and I left in fridge for 30 mins and then another 30mins to harden...I had to shorten the time because it was passed my bedtime...

So after I brought out the dough and turned it 2 more times and then put them into ziplock bags. 

Into ziplock bags to rest for 2 days.  I don't quite understand why I had to press the dough 1hr and the next 2hrs later. I did it anyway..but  I  might have pressed too hard cos my dough flatted into a disc instead of a round. LOL!

On Thursday night after work, I took out the dough from the fridge. It came off quite easily, I didn't have to cut open my ziplock bag. 

I split each dough into 4 even pieces and shaped into 3.5"x4" paper cups.

After my panettone baked.  The first 4 on the left I tend with foil after 20mins and they looked 'fairer'. Also it didn't raised up much because I placed them on baking sheet  on top of baking stone. 

I tried to sprinkle some pearl sugar on one just to test out. I regretted not doing it to the rest, should have sprinkled all of them with pearl sugar! 

The next 4 on the right I tend with foil after 30mins and thus they looked darker..almost burnt.  But they raised up more because I placed them directly on baking stone.  Also this time I used boiling water instead of ice..boiling water seems faster to create steam.

I was a bit disappointed because I felt that these panettone didn't look like the commercial ones I often see on photos or pictures. They looked weird to me.  I was too tired to wait for the mini Panettone-s to cool down as it was almost 2am. I took them to my bedroom with me..hahaha.. yes..literally..because if I leave them out in open in non-aircon room, esp. at night, the stupid house lizard will eat the bread!  (ya..ask me how I know!..lizards now eat bread and other food that has sugar.. and not insects or mosquitoes anymore!). I told myself I would just lie down for a short while on my bed and wait for them to cool and put close the lid of the container I placed them in.  But somehow the next moment when I woke up it was already morning..time to go to work. LOL!  

I got ready for work, quickly checked on the Panettones.. and I took photos too..with the morning sun..:)  And cut them into half. One from each batch.  

Inside of the bread.. to see the texture.

I was quite disappointed, thinking to myself why they look like bread.  I was expecting them to be fluffier and with more holes like Chiffon textured bread...

I kept thinking about what I might have done wrong on my way to work. Nearing office, I realised I forgot to put on makeup. I never have the habit of carrying any makeup with me except for lipgloss. So no choice, naked face for the whole day..well, at least I had my sunblock on.  As long as I don't scare people with my pale white face...should be ok.. LOL!

I voiced my disappointment on our FB group...and fellow alpha bakers Pat, Monica, Kristina, Nicola & Vicki re-assured me that I got my Panettone right and it is bread and not whatever I was imagining it to be. LOL!  That made me so happy. Kristina posted photo of her Panettone, so I was reassured. And after it didn't really mattered if I had makeup on or not that whole day...Oo 

I brought 1/4 slice each to work to taste test because I can't eat anything in the morning. 

No chocolate to drizzle on.  (sorry, I couldn't wait and took a bite..so please ignore the smaller slice. LOL!

I like how it tasted. It taste like sweet bread with delicate crumb. But I would have preferred more raisins though. I like the presence of citrus peel (I like them in fruitcakes too).   My daughter loves it, she is able to eat one mini loaf all by herself.  She said the flavor tasted just like the ones we had in Italy but probably not as soft. She added that if she remembered correctly, we were able to pull the bread out and it would tear like cotton-candy soft like texture...

Honestly, I cannot remember.  

This to me tasted like normal sweet bread (brioche-like)...of course with more flavor, richer and nice yellow color.  So I'm not sure if I will make it again though - all the hard work, and stress and not enough sleep..lol! Probably easier to just buy off the shelves. 

However, if there is any short cut to making them??  I wouldn't mind making it again... as long as the process is faster....:)

More photos.. after working on the dough for a week, I had to take more photos and post them!! lol..