Chocolate Panettone

Age. How do you perceive it? Does it overwhelm you? Defeat you? Or do you not care about it? I understand why people say that they wouldn't want to go back to their teenage years or their twenties. I feel the same, I honestly feel that my life began after I reached my thirties and I would never want to go back. I have more concept of life now, I'm more experienced, more secure in myself, I appreciate myself, I make my boundaries clear and I didn't have the balls to do that before.

I broke some important ice blocks by now and that gave me the insight into how I have to do certain things. Every bad experience is a lesson and it gives you knowledge. I think it's so important to always remain teachable. Even when you 90 years old, there is something you can learn. I'm always learning. Every human being is my teacher.

This panettone seems so out of place at the beginning of Spring. I baked it at the beginning of February (which is already too late, I think panettone is more of a December thing) because I bought these molds probably around 5 years ago and I felt that the time has come to attack this task. It turned out very pleasing. Great texture and flavor!

Recipe from: Alexandra cooks

The Recipe

INGREDIENTS

(for three panettones, mold diameter: 10 cm height: 9 cm)

4 cups (512 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¼ cup (55 g) sugar

2½ teaspoons instant yeast

1½ cups 2 percent or whole milk

½ cup boiling water

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Softened unsalted butter, for greasing

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, 60% to 70% cacao, coarsely chopped into ¼– to ½-inch pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, water, 4 tablespoons melted butter, and vanilla. Stir to combine, then add to the flour. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1½ to 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in bulk.

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 375°F ( baked it at 150° C). Grease a panettone mold with the softened butter—be generous. Sprinkle the chocolate pieces over the surface of the dough. Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball. Keep turning the dough in this manner until the chocolate is incorporated.

Use your two forks to transfer the dough to the prepared mold. If the dough is too wet to transfer with forks, lightly grease your hands with butter or oil, then transfer it to the mold. Do not cover the mold. Let the dough rise on the countertop near the oven (or another warm, draft-free spot) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the dough has doubled in bulk—it may not crown the rim, but it will come close.

Set the mold on a sheet pan and transfer it to the oven. Bake the mold for 40 to 45 minutes, or until uniformly brown. Remove the pan and mold from the oven and set the mold onto a cooling rack. Brush the top with the remaining tablespoon melted butter. Let the panettone cool for at least 1 hour before cutting it.