Let’s start preparing the lievitino (or pre-dough, as it’s called), by dissolving the fresh yeast in a bowl with part of the water. Add the sifted flour, the pinch of sugar, and the remaining water. Mix well, cover with cling film, and let it rise until doubled. The dough will be very soft.

When the lievitino has doubled in volume, we can prepare the actual dough. In a large bowl sift the flour, add the salt, honey, and vegetable oil, and start mixing to combine the ingredients. Pour the water gradually, until you obtain a dough that is soft and easy to work with.

–Don’t worry if it takes a little less or more than I anticipated, as flours don’t always absorb liquids in the same way.

At this point, also add the lievitino dough and knead until the two doughs are perfectly combined. The dough is ready when it is soft, smooth and no longer sticks to your hands. Let it rise covered until it doubles in size.

When the dough is well-risen, transfer it to the work surface and, without deflating it, roll it towards you to form a loaf, a sort of cylinder (as in the fourth small photo). Finally, position the loaf vertically and roll it up tightly again.

It is precisely these steps that will give structure to the leavened dough, ensuring it rises well, is well aerated, and does not collapse once out of the oven.

With your hands, then, try to shape it as spherical as possible and place it in the mold you have chosen and let it rise for the last time.

As soon as our panettone reaches the top edge of the mold, turn on the oven and preheat it to 347°F*. Bake it in the lower part of the already hot oven, for about 40/45 minutes, keeping an eye on it and remembering that temperatures and cooking times may vary from oven to oven.

Once cooked, remove it immediately and let it cool for at least one night before slicing it. The next day, remove the mold, cut it, and fill it. Precisely because it does not contain butter, it will not be necessary to keep it upside down for an entire night after cooking, as is the case with traditional sweet panettone.

Tips for cutting and filling the gourmet panettone: slice the panettone into 6 finger-thick discs.

We can fill all the discs, as in the gourmet panettone in the photo; or we can fill pairs of discs alternately. Here’s an example of the latter.

Start filling from the last disc:

Place some filling on the last disc, then place the fifth disc on top.

On the fifth disc (which we’ll leave plain) place the fourth disc that will be filled; then cover with the third disc.

Place the second disc on the third (left plain), fill it, cover it with the first disc, press the filled structure lightly, and finally proceed with slicing.

After filling and reassembling the gourmet panettone, cut it from the top into 4 parts, with a cross-cut, using a long serrated knife.