Sweet aromatic Italian Christmas bread is a Christmas tradition for many. Now make panettone bread without the lectins and sugar. Get the recipe.
Panettone is a sweet Italian Christmas bread with gorgeous aromatic flavors of all spice and orange zest and sweet dried fruits. It's a yeast-risen, airy, eggy, brioche, bread that many of us enjoyed before we went lectin free. I've figured out a way to make an LFG version that's identical in taste and very similar in texture as the original pannetone without lectins and sugar. My LFG panettone is going to make your Christmas morning.
Bread is one of those subjects that eludes us on the lectin free plan. Many just learn to live without it. But I like bread on certain occasions. Christmas is one of them.
Many of you know that I am a master at lectin free sourdough. But, there's no sourdough in this bread. Instead, we use yeast. Now for yeast to work, you need a bit of elasticity in the dough. The dough needs to stretch a bit so those holes created by the yeast "burps" don't pop. Now, without gluten, we need something else for elasticity. I've found that mozzarella cheese, the real Italian kind made with water buffalo milk, works like a charm. Buf is a great brand and is readily available now in many supermarkets. You might also try your local cheese importer. They are likely to have real Italian mozzarella made with a2 milk.
In addition to the special cheese, you'll need to get your hands on some mini panettone papers or tall parchment cups. I found the ones pictured at my local Kroger supermarket. Be sure to get tall ones that fit in a standard cupcake tin. The dough rises considerably, and the height of the paper will prevent spillage.
Other than the cheese and the papers, there are really no other special ingredients. So let's dive in and make this gorgeous mini panettone bread.
The Recipe
LFG Mini Panettone Bread
1/4 Cup Warm a2 Milk
1 Tbsp Raw Local Honey
Tiny Pinch Ginger Powder
2 tsp Dry Yeast
1 1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour
1/2 Cup Arrowroot Flour
3 Tbsp Allulose
1 tsp All Spice
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Pastured or Omega-3 Eggs
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Grated Buffalo Mozzarella
1/4 Cup Dried Currants or Chopped Dates
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Dried Cranberries
Zest of One Orange
Instructions:
Step 1: Activate the Yeast
Warm the milk in the microwave to about 105 degrees. Add honey and a tiny pinch of ground ginger. These two ingredients will help activate the yeast. Stir in yeast and let stand for about 10 minutes.
Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients
In a small bowl, add flours, allulose, all spice, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
Step 3: Whip Eggs and Oil
In a large bowl, whip eggs and oil together with a hand mixer until light yellow and foamy. This will take about three minutes.
Step 4: Add Yeast, Cheese and Fruits
Add activated yeast milk to the whipped eggs. Stir in grated mozzarella, dried fruits, and orange zest.
Step 5: Add Dry Ingredients
Gradually stir in dry ingredients. The batter will be very gooey. It will run extremely slowly off a spoon.
Step 6: Let Dough Rise
Set 6 tall parchment cups into the wells of a standard muffin tin. Scoop 1/3 cup of dough into the cups. Cover with a proofing cloth or kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for two hours. The dough will double in size due to yeast consuming the starch in the recipe and releasing gassy bubbles that expand within the dough.
Step 7: Bake
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. When oven reaches desired temperature, bake the mini panettones for 25 minutes until dark "brioche" brown on top.
Serve warmed or cooled with French butter. Pairs well with coffee, or a little Christmas cheer in the form of barrel-aged spirits.
ENJOY!