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Dark Chocolate Cherry & Hazelnut Panettone

An Italian Christmas classic loaf filled with nostalgic flavors of orange zest, vanilla and cinnamon. This loaf is filled with dark chocolate, cherries and hazelnuts, but you can add the filling that you love to make this loaf your very own.
Prep Time1 hour
Active Time1 hour 30 minutes
Proofing Time12 hours
Total Time14 hours 30 minutes
Course: Bread, Dessert, Holiday
Cuisine: Italian
Yield: 12

Materials

The Starter

  • 3/4 cup of water, warm
  • a pinch of granulated sugar
  • 14 grams of active dry yeast (2 envelopes)
  • 1 cup of all purpose flour

Main Dough

  • 4 1/2 cups of all purpose yeast
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup of granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh orange zest
  • 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup of honey
  • 1 cup of salted butter, softened

The Filling

  • 1 cup of dark chocolate, chopped, chunks or chips
  • 2/3 cup of hazelnuts, chopped
  • 2/3 cup of dried cherries
  • 2/3 cup of fresh orange juice

Garnishes

  • 1 large egg, whisked
  • hazelnuts, finely chopped
  • course sugar
  • confectioners sugar

Instructions

Make the starter dough...

  • Whisk a pinch of granulated sugar and 14 grams of active dry yeast into 3/4 cup of warm water until combined
  • Set aside until foamy (about 5 minutes)
  • Whisk in a cup of all purpose flour, cover and rest at room temperature overnight (between 8-12 hours)

Prep the filling...

  • Combine 2/3 cup of dried cherries with 2/3 cup of fresh orange juice, cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to use
  • Chop 2/3 cup of hazelnuts and 1 cup of dark chocolate, place into an airtight container and set aside until you are ready to assemble the loaf

Make the main dough...

  • Combine 4 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 2/3 cup of granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of fresh orange zest into the bowl of a stand mixer
  • Add the starter dough, 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract, 5 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks and 1/2 cup of honey and mix until a dough forms
  • Scrape the side of the bowl and begin kneading with a dough hook attachment on medium speed for 4-5 minutes
  • Continue kneading while you gradually add 1 cup of softened butter 2 tablespoons at a time (over another 4-5 minutes of kneading time)
  • Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and rest in a warm place for about 90 minutes or until nearly doubled in volume

Assemble the loaf...

  • Drain the rehydrated fruit and set aside
  • Lightly grease and parchment line a panettone mold or a 9”-10” deep cake pan or dutch oven
  • Transfer the dough onto a well floured surface and press it out into a large rectangle about 12” by 14” using floured hands
  • Sprinkle about half of the rehydrated cherries, chopped hazelnuts and chocolate over the dough and fold one third of the dough over like you are folding a latter using floured hands and a floured bench scraper
  • Add about half the remaining filling over the top of the dough you just folded and then cover that with the top third of the dough
  • Add the remaining filling over the dough and fold the dough in half
  • Stretch the corners of the square of dough in towards the center to form a round ball of dough
  • Place the shaped dough into the prepped cake pan or panettone mold and cover with plastic wrap
  • Rest in a warm place for about 2 hours or until the dough puffs to about double in volume

Bake the panettone...

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees before the dough is done with its 2 hour rest
  • Before baking the panettone, brush a beaten egg over the top of the dough and sprinkle finely chopped hazelnuts and course sugar over the top of the loaf 
  • Bake the panettone on a rack set just below center of a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes
  • Without opening the oven door, reduce the ovens temperature to 325 degrees and bake for another 60 minutes (cover loosely with foil if it begins to brown too much)
  • The panettone is ready to come out of the oven when the top is deeply golden brown, a wooden skewer will come out of the bread clean and the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees
  • Transfer the loaf out of the oven and let it cool completely before transferring out of the mold or cake pan (this is a very important stop to help prevent the loaf from having a gummy texture or collapsing if it is moved or sliced while still hot inside)
  • Dust with confectioners sugar before slicing and serving