Steps

• It is important to keep the sourdough starter active and follow the refreshment, as indicated in the recipe, for two days before using it in the panettone dough.

• To prepare the panettone in time, it is necessary to refresh the sourdough starter on Friday around 5:30 PM. In the evening, around 9:00 PM, proceed with the binding: perform a new refreshment using 100 g of already refreshed sourdough starter, 100 g of Manitoba flour, and 50 g of lukewarm water. As shown in the photo, the sourdough starter should be wrapped in a cloth and tightly tied, like a salami, with kitchen twine. Then, place it in a small saucepan that fits it well (it should not be too large) and let it rest overnight.

  

• In the morning, when you cut the twine, you will hear a slight pop: it will be your sourdough starter that has worked wonderfully! The inside should be well aerated, as you can see in the last photo.

  

• Now, let’s start with the necessary refreshment for the dough. Take 50 g of sourdough starter (the one that has risen well) and add 100 g of Manitoba flour and 50 g of lukewarm water. Mix to create a refreshment and let it rest for 3 hours in a warm place and then for 1 hour at room temperature. It should double in volume.

  

• For the second refreshment, use 100 g of the sourdough starter you prepared earlier, add 100 g of Manitoba flour, and 50 g of lukewarm water. Again, let it rest for 3 hours in a warm environment and 1 hour at room temperature.
   

  

• Remember, the dough must always double in volume!

  

• Proceed to the third refreshment with the same quantities and procedure as the second
   

  

• After 4 hours of leavening, the sourdough starter should appear swollen and well aerated; now, with this wonderful active starter, you can move on to the first actual dough.

• Cut the sourdough starter from the third refreshment and put it in the stand mixer, then gradually add all the ingredients of the first dough, except for the room temperature butter, which you need to add last, once the dough has started to come together. Start with the flour, adding the ingredients one at a time, and incorporate the egg yolks little by little, ensuring each ingredient is well absorbed by the dough and allowing it to bind properly.
  

  

• The butter should also be added in small pieces, letting it be fully absorbed. Finally, the dough must be well bound! “Binding” means that if you pull a piece of dough between your fingers, it should not break immediately but form a sort of web. Only when the dough is well bound, form a ball and transfer it to a bowl.
   

  

• Cover the dough and let it rest in the turned-off oven (to avoid drafts) until the morning. It is crucial that the dough triples in volume; otherwise, you cannot proceed with the second dough. Rising times can vary from house to house, depending on temperature and humidity. In the morning, I found it exactly as you see it in the second photo.

  

• Place the first dough in the stand mixer’s bowl and, following the order, add the flour and then all the other ingredients for the second dough. Remember to add one ingredient at a time, ensuring it is fully absorbed. Gradually add the egg yolks, then the butter in pieces one at a time. Remember that the dough must be well bound. It will take about 20 minutes for a good dough that forms a web between your fingers when you stretch it.

  

• Finally, gently mix to avoid ruining the binding and incorporate the orange and citron. The dough should not spin too much with the candied fruits to avoid losing the binding.

  

• Transfer the dough onto a work surface, and using a spatula and well-buttered hands, divide it into three portions of the same size. Cover them with a cloth and let them rest for about 20 minutes

  

• These are your panettone pieces, which need to be rounded before being placed in the molds.

  

• Use three 750 g or 1 kg paper panettone molds. Take each ball of dough and, with circular downward movements, round your panettones well and put them in the molds. Follow the video it’s a very easy operation.
  

• Place the molds covered with a plastic cloth or film to rise in a draft-free place like the turned-off oven. The panettones must reach the edge of the mold before being baked.
  Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 35 minutes. You can check that your panettone is well baked with a kitchen thermometer; the center of the panettone should reach 198°F.
  If you notice that the top is darkening too much towards the end of baking, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil.

  

• Once removed from the oven, the panettones must cool upside down. To facilitate this operation, I pierce them with two knitting needles and turn them, helping to hold them up with high-edged pots, as you see in the photo.