Easy Panettone Recipe – Perfect for the Holidays

Panettone is the ultimate Italian holiday treat, soft, fluffy, and bursting with sweet, citrusy flavor. I’m so excited to finally share this recipe with you! With this Easy Panettone recipe, you can make your own panettone at home without any stress. It is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or gifting to loved ones.

The dough is rich and buttery, with a hint of vanilla and citrus that fills your kitchen with festive aromas as it bakes. Folded with sweet raisins, cranberries, other dried fruits and candied orange peel, every bite is a delightful mix of soft, fluffy bread and chewy fruits. All you need is just a bit of time, patience, and holiday spirit! The final result is light, flavorful, and so satisfying to bake from scratch.

This is an easy panettone recipe because it simplifies the traditional process, skipping the need for a sourdough starter and cutting down the preparation time. Unlike the classic version that takes three days, this one can be made and baked in a single day, without sacrificing flavor or texture!

This holiday season, skip the store-bought panettone and impress your family and friends with your own homemade masterpiece. It’s festive, fun, and filled with love.

How to make this easy panettone recipe

Begin with preparing the fruit by soaking the dried fruits (except the orange candied peel) in rum or orange juice for 15 minutes to plump them up, then drain and set aside.

How to prepare the dough

To prepare the dough, dissolve the yeast in honey and some warm milk, in a large bowl, letting it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.

Next, add the flour, sugar, salt, lemon and orange zest. Add the remaining warm milk, egg yolks, and vanilla extract, mixing until just combined.

Gradually incorporate the softened butter, adding a little at a time, and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. This process may take 15–20 minutes with a hand or stand mixer.

Fold in the soaked and drained fruits along with the orange candied peel, gently distributing them evenly throughout the dough.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 2–2.5 hours. Stretch and fold the dough every 30 minutes during the rise, using wet hands. Cover the dough again after each folding, and repeat this process three to four times.

How to shape and bake the panettone

Divide the risen dough into three equal portions (about 520–530g each). Shape each portion into a ball and place them into 5 x3.7 inches (13x 9.5cm) panettone molds on a large baking sheet.

Spray the tops with oil, cover lightly, and let the dough rise again for 2 hours, or until it reaches just below the top edge of the molds. Remove the covering and let rest for 20 more minutes before baking.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C).

Score the tops of the dough with a cross, cutting about 1/4 inch (6mm) deep, and place a small cube of butter in the center of each cross for the traditional effect.

Bake the panettone on the second rack of the oven for 45–50 minutes. After 25 minutes, cover the tops with foil if they brown too quickly. Check for doneness with a skewer, ensuring it comes out clean.

Cool completely by suspending the panettone upside down for 2–3 hours to maintain its airy structure.

Store covered at room temperature for several days, or freeze for longer storage.

Hope you will try this Easy Panettone recipe and enjoy it as much as we did. If you do, make sure to share the photos with me on Instagram. Would love to see how it turns out for you.

More bread recipes you may also like try

If you like sweet bread recipes you may also like this traditional Poppy Seed Babka. It has an amazing crumb and irresistible flavor, and a favorite holiday treat in many European countries.

If you like cinnamon treats you may like to try this Cinnamon Braided Bread or this Cinnamon Wool Roll Bread.

For a fruity festive babka you may like to consider this Cranberry Orange Babka. It is very flavorful and a great choice for fall and winter holiday tables.