Every panettone I have seen or eaten is dry, bready, with a sparse scattering of candied fruit. Stale sweet bread.
Is that how it is supposed to be? My guess is that there is such a thing as delicious panettone but that, as with fruitcake, horrible commercial versions have prevailed.
Nick, my experience has been exactly the same as yours. Then someone brought in a bread to work the other day that was moist and tasty. I didn’t see any labels or anything that indicated it was a panatonne (sp) but it sure looked like one, so I guess this is a thing that can be done well!
From Glen and Friends, one of my favorite recipe channels.
Cook’s Country (part of America’s Test Kitchen/Cook’s Illustrated) has a recipe for White Fruitcake that actually sounds like what it should be…here’s the recipe if anyone wants to try it out
“White Fruitcake”
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Nowadays, fruitcake gets a bad rap, but we wanted a version that was light, flavorful, and full of tender fruit. A quick maceration with warmed orange juice softens and flavors store-bought glacéed fruit. A few pulses in the food processor break down the nuts and coconut with the flour to prevent a stringy, soggy texture. A final sprinkling of slivered almonds and powdered sugar finish our fruitcake for a festive, surprisingly delicious dessert.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup orange juice
2 pounds glacéed fruit (4 cups)
1 ½ cups (6 3/4 ounces) slivered almonds
1 cup (3 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
Confectioners’ sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Generously grease 12-cup tube pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Microwave orange juice in medium bowl until hot, about 30 seconds. Add glacéed fruit and stir to coat completely. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2
Process 1 cup almonds, coconut, and ¼ cup flour in food processor until finely ground, about 1 minute. Transfer to second medium bowl and whisk in remaining 1¾ cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with glacéed fruit in 2 additions, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand.
3
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle evenly with remaining ½ cup almonds. Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 2 hours, rotating pan halfway through baking.
4
Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan, discarding parchment and reinverting so almonds are on top, and let cool completely, about 3 hours. Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar. Serve.
I’ve never had it, but I understand you can make good French Toast or breakfast strata from it.
when you get one done correctly, they are pure heaven—aromatic, mysteriously sweet but not overly sweet and they last for many weeks after opening without getting moldy or stale. it is like a miracle food