Luxury Homemade Panettone

Beautifully risen homemade Panettone filled with raisins and citrus peel. Image and recipe created by Nicol Retailer Limited

Create a soft, buttery and beautifully golden homemade Panettone with this authentic Italian Christmas recipe. Made with enriched sweet dough, citrus zest, rum-soaked raisins and mixed peel, this festive bread is light, airy and irresistibly fragrant. Perfect for gifting, Christmas morning breakfast or serving with coffee, this easy step-by-step Panettone guide delivers bakery-quality results at home.

Course brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Italian, Traditional Christmas

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword bakery style panettone, Christmas panettone,, holiday baking ideas, homemade panettone, Italian Christmas bread, Italian panettone, panettone recipe, panettone with raisins, sweet bread recipe, traditional panettone

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Rising Time: (two rises + cooling) 4 30

Servings People

Calories 320

Ingredients

For the Dough

450 g strong white bread flour
100 g caster sugar
7 g fast-action yeast
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs (room temperature)
120 ml warm milk
150 g unsalted butter, softened
1 Zest of 1 orange
1 Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey

Fruit Filling:

120 g raisins or sultanas
60 g mixed peel or chopped dried apricots
2 tbsp rum or orange juice
1 tbsp rum or orange juice

Finishing:

Notes

Use room-temperature ingredients for best dough development; cold eggs or milk will slow the rise of this enriched bread.

Be patient with rising time—Panettone needs a long, slow prove to achieve its signature tall, airy, cloud-soft texture.

High-quality dried fruit makes a big difference. Soak raisins and peel in rum or orange juice to keep them plump and fragrant.

The dough will be sticky—this is normal for enriched breads. Avoid adding extra flour; rely on a dough hook to knead properly.

Use a Panettone case or tall tin to support the dough as it rises upward instead of spreading outward.

Hang the Panettone upside-down after baking to prevent collapse and keep the crumb light and tall—this step is essential for authentic results.

Flavour variations: Add chocolate chips, pistachios, amarena cherries, or swap citrus peel for candied fruit.

Storage: Wrap tightly in cellophane or foil to keep it soft for 5–7 days.

Serving tip: Panettone tastes best slightly warm or lightly toasted and served with butter, mascarpone or a festive cream.

Nutrition