- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 9 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mixed candied fruit (such as glacéed cherries and citron, orange, or lemon peel), diced
- 1 cup golden raisins
- Special equipment: 2 (8-inch) or 8 (3 1/2-inch) paper panettone molds
- In bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook, combine 1/3 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F) and sugar. Stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add flour and mix at low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until tripled in volume, about 3 hours. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Stir down starter, cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
- In small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F) and yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Attach bowl containing biga to standing mixer fitted with dough hook, pour in yeast mixture, and mix at low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, sugar, and flour and mix at medium speed until shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until tripled in volume, about 3 hours.
- Attach bowl containing dough to standing mixer fitted with dough hook and add flour, egg yolks, milk, honey, 1/4 cup sugar, and 10 tablespoons butter. Mix at medium speed until blended, about 3 minutes, then add salt, vanilla, and remaining sugar. Mix at medium speed until well blended, about 5 minutes more.
- With mixer running, add remaining 10 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at time. (Dough will become smooth and shiny and will pull away from sides of bowl.) Add candied fruit and raisins and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Form dough into ball and transfer to large bowl. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, about 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (8-inch) or 8 (3 1/2-inch) paper panettone molds. Punch down dough, then turn out onto work surface. Divide dough into 2 pieces and form each into ball. (If using small molds, divide dough into 8 small balls.) Place 1 ball in each mold. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise in warm, draft-free place until dough has risen past the rim and springs back when poked, about 1 hour.
- Bake until golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. To cool, stick 2 skewers through base of each mold and suspend bread upside down by resting skewers on 2 containers taller than bread. (This helps keep bread from deflating during cooling.)
- When loaves are cool, wrap well in plastic wrap, then in parchment or tissue paper. Store at room temperature.