Gino D'Acampo's panettone classico recipe

The Panettone recipe by This Morning's Gino D'Acampo is the perfect way to learn how to make panettone in time to present a scrumptious homemade panettone by Christmas time.

Gino D'Acampo's Panettone classico is a delizioso Italian sweet bread loaf, made only the way an Italian chef knows how. This homemade panettone recipe is a Christmas cake that's too good to be eaten just once a year, so you'll find yourself making it time and time again!

The natural yeast in this recipe will give the panettone a nice rise to it, which is exactly what you want - it should be really light and fluffy. This panettone is full of mixed dried fruit, another reason why it's such a treat. Panettone makes a really nice gift, if you want to give someone a homemade Christmas present, so learn how to make panettone at home for a novel festive gift idea. If you use nice ribbon to tie around it and some cellophane, you can wrap it up really nicely for a fab homemade gift!

Panettone is best served at room temperature with a cup of tea - make it when you're expecting friends round and trust us, they will be so impressed! Love festive cooking? We've got loads more lovely Christmas recipes right here!

Ingredients

• 15g fresh yeast
• 125ml full-fat milk, warm
• 400g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
• 3 pinches of salt
• 16g fresh yeast
• 125ml full-fat milk, warm
• 2 medium eggs
• 80g caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 150g salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for brushing
• 120g mixed candied peel, chopped
• 60g raisins

Method

1. Brush a 15cm diameter cake tin or soufflé dish with a little butter then line with a double layer of greaseproof paper and ensure that you leave a ‘collar’ of paper 8cm above the top of the tin. Oil the inside of a large bowl.
2. Melt the yeast in the milk, making sure that it is completely dissolved.
3. Setting aside 2 tablespoons of the flour, sift the remaining amount into a large bowl, sprinkle over the salt and make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast and milk with the whole eggs and gently mix all the ingredients together to make a thick batter. Sprinkle over the reserved flour and leave the sponge in a warm place for 35 minutes.
4. Add in the sugar and egg yolks and mix together to create soft dough, then work in the soft butter then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic and shape into a ball.
5. Place the dough ball in the oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm. Leave it to rise in a warm place away from draughts for 2 hours.
6. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and punch down. Gently knead in the candied peel and raisins. Shape again into a ball and place in the prepared tin. Cover with clingfilm and leave it to rise in a warm place away from draughts for 1 hour.
7. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
8. Use a sharp knife to cut a cross on the top and brush with a little butter.
9. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, brush the top with more butter and continue to cook for a further 30 minutes.
10. Once out of the oven, cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
11. Panettone is perfect served at room temperature with a cup of tea.

How should you serve panettone?

Panettone can be eaten in more than one way which helps make it such a popular choice for a Christmas treat. If you wanted to enjoy it as more of a savoury treat, try toasting a few slices for your cheeseboard. If you have more of a sweet tooth, try toasting and then slavering it in butter with a little acacia honey and cinnamon for a delicious treat. You could also serve it really simply as a dessert with some chocolate or caramel dipping sauce.