I first posted a recipe for gluten-free Christmas Panettone last year, just a couple days before the holiday. My son made me do it, with the “what is that, Mom?” and the “do you think maybe sometime you could make it gluten-free?” He has dimples. They make me do things. This year, I tweaked the recipe a bit (added Expandex and whey powder, cut down on the eggs and the yeast, and added more milk, mostly), but mostly I'm talking about it again so I had the chance to show you some better photos.
Expandex helps the bread crisp, and gives it a looser, more tender crumb. It also helps the bread rise well with less yeast, so it doesn't overproof. I buy Expandex online here, but there are other online sources. Since Christmas is still almost 2 weeks away, you still have time to order.
I use a brioche mold, since I don't have a panettone mold. My kitchen has no more room for a 1-trick pan.
What's the story with the panettone in those boxes in the drug store, anyway? They make me sad. I wouldn't eat it, even if it didn't have gluten in every wee little crumb. This is the real deal, gluten or no gluten. Have a happy & a merry.
Christmas Panettone Bread II
Ingredients
2 cups (280 g) high-quality all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
35 grams Expandex modified food starch
35 grams whey powder
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Grated zest and juice of 1 medium-sized lemon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (6 fl. oz.) warm milk (about 110°F)
3 extra-large eggs (180 g, without the shell), at room temperature
8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces dried and/or candied fruit (I used dried currants), tossed with 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
Grease and lightly flour a panettone mold or brioche mold (a loaf pan will work just fine, too), and set it aside.
Make the dough & allow it to rise. In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the flour, xanthan gum, Expandex, whey, sugar, yeast and cream of tartar, and whisk to combine well with a separate handheld whisk. Add the salt and lemon zest, and whisk again to combine well. Fit the paddle attachment to the mixer and secure the bowl. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, milk, eggs and butter to the bowl, mixing on low speed to combine after each addition. Once the final ingredient has been added, turn the mixer to medium-high speed, and allow to mix for about 6 minutes uninterrupted. Add the dried fruit and cornstarch, and mix until evenly distributed throughout. The dough will be very soft and smooth. Scrape the dough into the prepared baking mold or pan until the container is a bit more than half-full, and smooth the top with wet hands. If you have extra dough, grease and flour another small container and scrape the remaining dough into that container to rise. Cover the baking dish(es) with oiled plastic wrap, and place the pan in a warm and humid, draft-free location to rise until the dough has doubled in size (about an hour).
Bake the bread. While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 375°F. Once the dough has finished rising, place the baking dish in the center of the preheated oven and lower the heat to 350°F. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is deep brown. Remove the pan from the oven, cover the top of the bread tightly with a piece of foil, and return to the center of the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the bread is about 210°F and/or it sounds hollow when thumped with a finger.
Allow the bread to cool. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool in the mold for about 10 minutes. Loosen from the mold and transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Theresa Goldman says
Whey powder? Where to find it? In a health food store when I wanted to add it to shakes? Or? Can it be made without it if I can’t find it? Theresa
Brenda C says
Way back when I could bake with gluten, one of the items I got the most orders for was Christmas Panettone. I used a flavoring called Fioro di Sicilia which is a citrusy, florally vanilla-y flavoring that just pushed my panettones over the edge for some people. You can get it at King Arthur Baking and some specialty stores. It’s one of those things that you can’t necessarily identify but when you try panettone with it your tastebuds just light up!
Sherry L says
Mmmmmmmm, yummy! I can’t wait to make this, I don’t have a pretty pan like yours, but it will still taste good!
Nicole Hunn says
Meh, Sherry. Mine has to look pretty for the pictures. And I bet yours will look wonderful in a regular loaf pan!
xoxo Nicole
Sherry L says
Mmmmmmmm, yummy! I can’t wait to make this, I don’t have a pretty pan like yours, but it will still taste good!
gfshoestring says
Meh, Sherry. Mine has to look pretty for the pictures. And I bet yours will look wonderful in a regular loaf pan!
xoxo Nicole
Gail says
Can it be made without the Expandex? From what I’ve seen, it contains corn. Which, sadly I can’t have.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Gail! Actually, Expandex does not contain any corn (see their FAQs here). But you can definitely make the recipe without Expandex. Just use my first version of the recipe.
xoxo Nicole
Gail says
Can it be made without the Expandex? From what I’ve seen, it contains corn. Which, sadly I can’t have.
gfshoestring says
Hi, Gail! Actually, Expandex does not contain any corn (see their FAQs here). But you can definitely make the recipe without Expandex. Just use my first version of the recipe.
xoxo Nicole
Sandy Weinberg says
I don’t understand how you can use Whey powder, since I understand that there’s a lot of controversy as to whether or not the wheat in there can effect people with celiac. ;)
Nicole Hunn says
Sandy, there is absolutely no wheat or gluten in pure whey powder. Whey is the liquid that is left after milk is made into cheese. Whey powder is a dehydrated form of liquid whey.
Nicole
Simona says
It’s seems so beautiful and good! Panettone is the typical Italian Christmas sweets!! It was born in Milan so many years ago! In Italy there are so many brands that prepare it in gluten free version.
Happy Christmas Holiday from Italy ;-)
Nicole Hunn says
You no doubt have so many gluten-free foods available to you in Italy, Simona, that we could only dream of here in the U.S.! If I could buy gluten-free panettone, I would be first in line. :)
xoxo Nicole
Sandy Weinberg says
I don’t understand how you can use Whey powder, since I understand that there’s a lot of controversy as to whether or not the wheat in there can effect people with celiac. ;)
gfshoestring says
Sandy, there is absolutely no wheat or gluten in pure whey powder. Whey is the liquid that is left after milk is made into cheese. Whey powder is a dehydrated form of liquid whey.
Nicole
Brenda Crawshaw says
Way back when I could bake with gluten, one of the items I got the most orders for was Christmas Panettone. I used a flavoring called Fioro di Sicilia which is a citrusy, florally vanilla-y flavoring that just pushed my panettones over the edge for some people. You can get it at King Arthur Baking and some specialty stores. It’s one of those things that you can’t necessarily identify but when you try panettone with it your tastebuds just light up!
Simona says
It’s seems so beautiful and good! Panettone is the typical Italian Christmas sweets!! It was born in Milan so many years ago! In Italy there are so many brands that prepare it in gluten free version.
Happy Christmas Holiday from Italy ;-)
gfshoestring says
You no doubt have so many gluten-free foods available to you in Italy, Simona, that we could only dream of here in the U.S.! If I could buy gluten-free panettone, I would be first in line. :)
xoxo Nicole