Chocolate, pistachio and cranberry panettone

Happy New Year, everyone!

Thank you for your comments and emails – I took some time off and haven’t posted here or visited my favorite blogs. I intend to correct that as soon as possible and I start this panettone. I adapted this recipe, replacing the raisins and hazelnuts for dried cranberries and pistachios.

I wish you all a great year, full of joy, love and hope. May all our dreams come true!

Chocolate, pistachio and cranberry panettone
from Delicious magazine

125g unsalted butter, softened, divided
350g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting – I used 380g all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
7g sachet (2 ¼ teaspoons) fast-action dried yeast
50g caster sugar
50g dried cranberries
50g shelled, unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
finely grated zest of 1 orange
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons warm milk, plus extra, if needed
50g semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
icing sugar, to dust

Grease and line a fluted savarin or kugelhopf pan (or a 18cm round x 9cm deep pan)*.
Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast, sugar, cranberries, nuts and zest.
Make a well in the centre and add the eggs, 100g of the butter and the milk. Mix. Knead in the bowl for 5 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic (add a little extra milk, if it’s dry). Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a further 5 minutes or until smooth - – I used my Kitchen Aid with the hook attachment for the whole kneading process.
Put in a lightly greased bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place for at least 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Punch the dough in the bowl to ‘knock back’, then knead for another 5 minutes on a floured surface. Gradually knead in the chocolate as quickly as possible to avoid the chunks melting. Place the dough into the pan. Cover and leave for another 30 minutes or until risen again.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Melt the remaining 25g butter and brush over the top of the loaf. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until risen and cooked through. Wrap in a thick tea towel and set aside to cool.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.

* I used a regular 20cm ring pan.

Makes 1 large loaf