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Easy Sourdough Panettone

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Panettone is a traditional Italian holiday bread that is tender, sweet, and studded with fruit. This easy sourdough version is fun to make and share with your friends and family this holiday season.

Panettone is the ultimate holiday bread studded with dried fruits and a soft, springy texture. This sourdough version takes many days to make, but the result is flavorful and lovely.
sourdough panettone loaf cut in half and showing inside next to full loaf
sourdough panettone loaf cut in half and showing inside next to full loaf

This Italian holiday bread is sweet, tender, delicate, and studded with dried fruits and zest.

This is one of those recipes that is kind of a doozy when you look at it, but its really not that hard, I swear. It does take time, but time does not equal difficulty here! Promise!

Traditionally this recipe is one of those that will take you an entire week to make. Its worth it, for sure, but you need to dedicate yourself to the process. I have worked hard to simplify this recipe so it is easier to accomplish in our busy lives but still stays true to what a panettone should be.

This is a great sourdough recipe to make for the holidays, along with sourdough stollen and sourdough babka.

ingredients for panettone on marble counter with text overlay

A super brief overview of this recipe

This is a super short conversational explanation of the recipe, just to help you get an idea of what you need to do to create this panettone. For the full recipe, please scroll down to the recipe card below.

First, you need to change your 100% hydration starter to a 50% starter.

That means feeding it with twice as much flour as you do water. For more information on hydration rates, you can read my guide on feeding your sourdough starter. For specific steps in changing the hydration rate of your starter, you can find that down below in the recipe card.

Timing Note: You will want to feed your starter 2-3 times at this hydration rate before moving on to the next step.

Then, you need to change your starter to a sweet starter.

That is just a starter that you feed sugar to. You cannot do this at the same time you change the hydration rate, unfortunately, so you need to plan ahead for timing. Again, I have specific steps down below.

Timing Note: You will want to feed your starter 2-3 times at this hydration rate before moving on to the next step.

Create the first dough.

  1. Combine the ingredients for the first dough and mix until a rough dough forms.
  2. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
  3. Gradually mix in the butter, kneading until each piece has been absorbed before you add the next bit of butter. The dough should be silky and smooth after this step.
  4. Cover and allow the dough to ferment in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 6-8 hours.

Create the final dough.

  1. Add the flour, salt and sugar to the dough from the previous step, kneading until it feels smooth.
  2. Mix in the eggs, kneading until they are well combined in the dough.
  3. Add the rest of the butter, kneading until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes more.
  4. Gently fold in the fruit and zest, evenly distributing it into the dough without deflating it. It should be soft and slightly sticky but manageable. If it is too sticky, you can add a tiny but of flour at a time until it is right, but don’t add too much.
  5. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Shaping the dough.

  1. Do a set of stretch and folds. Grab the section of the dough closest to you and pull it up high, then fold it over to the side of the bowl farthest away from you. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Repeat until you have done a stretch and fold on all four “sides” of the bowl.
  2. Place the dough in the paper panettone mold.
  3. Let the dough proof in a warm place until it has risen about 1″ below the top of the mold, about 8-12 hours.

Baking.

  1. Preheat the oven to 325.
  2. Score the top of the panettone with a cross pattern and place a pat of butter in the center.
  3. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
  4. Immediately pierce the base of the pannetore with the wooden skewers and hand it upside down to cool completely. This prevents the dome from collapsing and maintains hte structure of hte bread. Do not skip! It needs to cool for at least 3-4 hours.

Baker’s Schedule

Knowing how a recipe fits into your timeline is so important before you start baking! Here are some guidelines to figure out when you need to start baking this recipe.

  • Making a 50% hydration starter: 2-3 feedings, or 2-3 days.
  • Making a sweet starter: 2-3 feedings 4 hours apart, or 12 hours.
  • Mixing the first dough: 20 minutes.
  • Ferment: 6-8 hours.
  • Mixing final dough: 30 minutes.
  • Rest: 30 minutes.
  • Shaping: 10 minutes.
  • Final Proof: 8-12 hours.
  • Baking: 40-50 minutes.
  • Cooling: 3-4 hours.

Start to finish, this recipe will take you about 31 hours – 37 hours. A lot of this is resting/fermentation time, so you can plan accordingly.

*Important Note: Remember that the temperature and humidity of your house will affect the activity level of tour starter. These times have been given as a guide, but please watch the dough and not the clock to know when your pannettone is ready for the next step.

slice of pannettone in front of loaf

How to serve

Panettone is great when enjoyed as is. Cut the loaf in half with a serrated knife, and then cut slices from each half.

Serve this with a cup of tea or coffee, hot chocolate or milk!

It is also great with a serving of double cream or marscapone. You can also toast it slightly and serve it buttered. And not traditional, but definitely amazing – turn it into french toast!

sourdough panettone bread in paper wrapper

Storage info

Once cut, Panettone can be stored in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

image promoting sourdough course book

Food tastes better when its shared! If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rate below!

Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this post, please link to this post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thanks so much for supporting me! xoxo

sourdough panettone loaf cut in half and showing inside next to full loaf

Sourdough Panettone Recipe

Panettone is the ultimate holiday bread studded with dried fruits and a soft, springy texture. This sourdough version takes many days to make, but the result is flavorful and lovely.
4 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 1 day 9 hours
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 9 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 439kcal
Author: Jenni

Ingredients

To Change to 50% Hydration Starter:

  • 20 grams 100% hydration starter
  • 80 grams flour
  • 40 grams water

Sweet Starter Ingredients (50% Hydration):

  • 20 grams 100% hydration starter
  • 80 grams flour
  • 40 grams water
  • 10 grams sugar

First Dough Ingredients:

  • 346 grams flour
  • 130 grams water
  • 83 grams sugar
  • 67 grams egg yolks about 3-4 yolks
  • 83 grams unsalted butter room temperature
  • 86 grams sweet starter

Final Dough Ingredients:

  • First dough from above
  • 120 grams flour adjust for consistency
  • 7-8 grams salt
  • 40 grams sugar
  • 2 egg yolks 40-45 grams
  • 50 grams unsalted butter room temperature
  • 40 grams chopped cranberries
  • 50 grams dried cherries soaked in brandy or fruit juice chopped and well-drained
  • Zest from 1 large orange about 1 ½ tablespoons

Instructions

Make a 50% Hydration starter:

  • Take your regular starter and feed it with the new amounts of flour.
  • Repeat this 2-3 times to build the strength of the starter.

Make a Sweet starter:

  • A sweet starter includes sugar to promote yeast activity and reduce sourness. Feed it every 4 hours leading up to making the first dough. Repeat this 2-3 times to build the strength of the starter.

First Dough Instructions:

  • Combine flour, water, sugar, egg yolks, and sweet starter in a bowl. Mix until a rough dough forms.
  • Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic.
  • Gradually incorporate the room-temperature butter, kneading until it is fully absorbed, and the dough is silky and smooth.
  • Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place (around 82°F or 28°C) for 6-8 hours, or until it doubles in size.

Final Dough Instructions:

  • Add flour, salt, and sugar to the first dough. Knead until fully incorporated and the dough feels smooth.
  • Gradually mix in the egg yolks, kneading until they are fully absorbed.
  • Knead the dough to develop gluten for a few minutes, then gradually add the room-temperature butter. Continue kneading for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the “windowpane test.”
  • Gently fold in the chopped cranberries, soaked cherries, and orange zest, making sure the fruits are evenly distributed without deflating the dough.
  • The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but manageable. If it’s too sticky, add flour (10 grams at a time) until the consistency is right. Avoid over-flouring the dough.
  • Let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes. Perform stretch and folds, then shape it into a round. Place it into a paper panettone mold.
  • Let the dough proof in a warm, humid place (75-80°F or 24-27°C) for 8-12 hours, or until it rises to about 1 inch below the top of the mold.

Baking and Cooling Instructions:

  • Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
  • Score the top of the panettone with a cross pattern and place a tablespoon of butter in the center. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 190°F (88°C) and the top is golden brown. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
  • Immediately after baking, pierce the base of the panettone with skewers and hang it upside down (using the skewers or long rods) to cool completely. This prevents the dome from collapsing and helps maintain the structure of the bread. Let it cool for at least 3-4 hours.
  • Enjoy your homemade sourdough panettone!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 281mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 658IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 3mg

This recipe was originally published December 2012, and was updated October 2024 to simplify the recipe, update photos, and remove unnecessary content.

sourdough panettone with bow

I am submitting this panettone to Yeastpotting, a wonderful weekly collection of all things yeasted and delicious! And, to make three birds with one stone, I am also going to submit this to Twelve Loaves, (whose theme this month was boozy bread, yum!) hosted by Cake Duchess, Creative Culinary and Life’s A Feast.

18 Comments

  1. Wow Jenni, are you brave or what to try the sourdough version!! Kudos for the attempt.

  2. A sourdough version of panettone…yes, I love this. I love your determination and I know you feel it should've been better. But for me, they are perfect! The crumb looks incredible. Lovely Christmas bread, Jenni. Thank you for joining us for December #TwelveLoaves and happy holidays to you and your family!:)

  3. lisamichele says:

    What a great idea to make a sourdough version of Panettone! It looks amazing! I'd love to see your SD starter now. I'm betting 'he' has taken his first steps and can say 'Mama' by now! lol Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year!

  4. I think your efforts kind of define the Daring Baker challenges! Things didn't turn out exactly as planned, but it was an exciting experiment, right? Awesome job ^__^

  5. Wow, you made real sourdough panettone! I am super impressed, I thought the original recipe was hard enough! Yours look great – I wish mine got as brown as yours did.

  6. wow, I am so impressed you went the sourdough starter route, as that would be very difficult for me. And I am doubly impressed you made a batch of them WITH a toddler around0 I know how difficult that would be as I'm going through the terrible two phase now, haha! The panettoni look absolutely stunning, Jenni,I bet the recipients were delighted.

  7. Your panettone looks outstanding Jenni, and so was your effort! I really love how that crumb turned out.
    On a side note, I'm going to pull out Deadwood and watch the whole series again. Thanks!

  8. Marcellina says:

    I am so glad you made a sourdough version! I'm never very good at sourdough but I think yours is great. The texture of the crumb looks perfect! I'm sorry you didn't get much sleep the night!

  9. Hi Jenni, I loved to read your post. So honest and what a great example of how determinate we get when we want decide to do something. I agree with you, the texture looks great! which means also the taste was good. and I do hope you will make panettone again. it does not need to be a nightmare that takes your sleep away 🙂 you just need to find the right recipe for you. I found mine after two attempts (one last year and one this year in November) with different recipes which just did not work for me…

  10. chefindisguise.com says:

    Oh my what a week Jenni!
    I usually do that myself, make plans that go horribly terribly wrong (loved the qoute by the way)
    I have two kids 3 and 8 and I know only too well how things must have been in your kitchen
    Hats off to you for not giving up and looking at the picture with the sliced bread I think the crumb looks wonderful

  11. Beautifully presented.
    I like that you took the sourdough route.

    Getting up in the middle of the night to check dough totally sounds like something I would do 🙂

  12. Wow!! I thought the Daring Baker's challenge was complicated and then you go and make it the real sourdough way!! WELL DONE!

  13. korenainthekitchen.com says:

    Ahhhhhh Jenni you are SO BRAVE!!!!!! I wanted to make Susan's sourdough version too, but I realized I didn't have an entire week to devote to it… I have to say though, the yeast version is hardly a shortcut, lol! This is time-consuming bread no matter how you look at it, but I think the results are worth it. You probably haven't heard back from any recipients yet because they are all still bowled over by how amazing it is 😉

  14. Wow, you are truly dedicated! The final bread looks great to me…and I'm sure I would have given up on my lifeless dough at some point in your fiasco. Good work! Love your filling, too! Yum.

  15. OMG! And I thought the Daring Baker's recipe was complex. Love that you got up every two hours in the night to check on your dough baby. Such dedication! And the crumb of your Panettone looks perfect 🙂

  16. I can't WAIT to try this version. It looks BEAUTIFUL and I bet it tasted even better. I am so impressed!!!

4 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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