SHOPYTHON
Panettone, the tall, feather-light Italian Christmas bread, has become a favourite gift in Malaysia, and a good one sells at a premium in hampers. It is also one of the most demanding doughs there is: very rich, very slow, and sensitive to temperature. In a 30 °C kitchen, that sensitivity is the main challenge.
This guide covers how panettone is made, a realistic timeline, how to manage heat in a Malaysian kitchen, and the equipment that makes it reliable.
What makes panettone different
- Lots of butter, sugar and egg yolks, added in stages into a strong dough. The dough must hold all of it while staying elastic.
- Two doughs over two days. A first dough ferments overnight; the second dough adds the rest of the enrichment and the fruit.
- Traditionally leavened with a sweet stiff starter (lievito madre), which gives the long keeping quality and flavour. Yeasted versions are easier and still very good.
- Baked in tall paper moulds and cooled upside down, hung on skewers, so the soft crumb does not collapse.
A typical timeline
| Step | What happens | Typical time |
| Starter refreshments | Feed the stiff starter several times so it is very active | 1–2 days before |
| First dough | Flour, starter, sugar, water, yolks and butter, mixed until smooth and elastic | 30–45 min mixing |
| First rise | At a steady 26–28 °C until about three times its size | About 10–14 hours, overnight |
| Second dough | Add more flour, sugar, yolks, butter in stages, then candied peel and raisins | 30–45 min mixing |
| Rest, divide, shape | Round into balls and place in paper moulds | About 1 hour |
| Final proof | At 26–28 °C until the dome nears the top of the mould | 4–8 hours |
| Bake | Around 160–170 °C until the centre reaches about 92–94 °C | About 45–55 min for a 1 kg panettone |
| Cool upside down | Hung on skewers | At least 8 hours |
Times vary with your starter, flour and room temperature. Use dough temperature and volume as your guide, not the clock.
Panettone in Malaysian heat
Most panettone recipes assume a cool European bakery. Here, the room is often 28–32 °C, and a long mix adds friction heat on top. If the dough gets too warm, the butter melts out, the dough turns greasy and slack, and it will not rise properly. These habits help:
- Aim for a dough temperature of about 24–26 °C at the end of each mix. Check it with a probe thermometer.
- Chill the ingredients. Cold yolks, cold water and flour kept in the fridge make a big difference. Butter should be cool but soft enough to mix in.
- Mix in an air-conditioned room if you can, and add butter only once the dough is strong and elastic, a little at a time.
- Control the rises. The first rise needs a steady 26–28 °C for many hours. An air-conditioned room swings too much, and the open kitchen is too hot. A proofing cabinet holds the temperature you set.
- Use strong flour. Panettone needs a high-protein flour (around 13–14% protein) that can carry all the butter and sugar.
The equipment
1. A mixer that can work a rich dough for a long time
Panettone dough is mixed for a long time, and butter and yolks go in gradually. The mixer must develop strong gluten without heating the dough. Spiral mixers do this best, which is why panettone bakeries use them.
- Famag IM5-S, RM8,388: Italian spiral with 10 speeds and a removable bowl, 5 kg of dough. Famag mixers are widely used in Italy for enriched doughs like panettone.
- Sunmix SUN6, from RM6,666: Italian spiral for 0.5–6 kg of dough with 10 speeds.
- MyBaker MY-10HSD, RM3,899: 10 L spiral with removable bowl, a practical choice for a home business making a few dozen panettoni.
- Innofood KT-H10D, RM2,800: 10 L spiral; it comes with a digital needle thermometer, handy for checking dough temperature.
For one or two panettoni at home, a sturdy stand mixer can do it with patience and a slow speed: the Innofood KT-7600 (RM1,899) has an ice bowl that keeps mixes cool, which is ideal for this dough.
2. A proofer for steady temperature
The two long rises are where most home panettone fails. A proofing cabinet such as the The Baker FX-13M2 (13 trays, 0–50 °C, RM1,699) holds 26–28 °C overnight, so the dough rises at a predictable pace. For larger bakeries, the Bulli FX-6L retarder proofer (RM8,599) can also hold dough cold and then switch to proofing on a timer.
3. An oven with gentle, even heat
Panettone is tall and rich, so it needs a moderate temperature for a long time, and must not burn on top before the centre is baked. Both work:
- A deck oven gives steady bottom heat and no fan, so the dome rises evenly. For example the Bulli DSL-1K (RM1,899).
- A convection oven bakes more panettoni at once; use a lower temperature, check the tray height so the domes do not touch the top, and cover loosely with foil if the tops colour too fast. For example the Soner SCO-1A (RM2,800) or Bulli DSL-4A with separate top and bottom heat (RM4,499).
Our guide to deck or convection ovens for a home bakery goes into more detail.
4. Hanging them upside down
Straight out of the oven, a panettone is so soft that it collapses if left upright. Bakers push two long skewers through the base and hang it upside down until fully cool. If you bake in volume, the UNOX TG480 PANETTONE.Bake tray (RM1,618) holds 1 kg panettoni in 165–170 mm moulds on pins, so they can be turned over for cooling without skewering each one. There is also a COLOMBA.Bake version for Easter colomba.
5. The small things
- Paper panettone moulds: the standard sizes are about 500 g and 1 kg.
- A probe thermometer for dough temperature and to check the bake (about 92–94 °C in the centre).
- Cooling racks and space: a Soner SCR-15 rack trolley (RM750) holds 15 trays.
- Food-safe bags for packing once completely cool.
Selling panettone for Christmas
- Start early. Practise in November: the first few batches teach you how your starter, flour and kitchen behave.
- Plan capacity backwards. Each batch takes two days, and the proofer and oven set how many you can bake per day. Take preorders with fixed collection dates.
- Offer a local twist. Pandan, gula Melaka, chocolate and orange, or durian versions stand out next to imported ones.
- Shelf life: a well-made sourdough panettone, cooled fully and sealed, keeps for a good while, which makes it a strong hamper item. Yeasted versions stale faster, so bake them closer to the date.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make panettone without a sourdough starter?
Yes. Yeasted panettone recipes use instant yeast and often a cold overnight first dough. They are easier and quicker, with a softer, less complex flavour and a shorter shelf life.
Why did my panettone collapse?
The usual causes are dough that got too warm during mixing (the butter separated), under-baking (the centre did not reach about 92 °C), or not hanging it upside down straight after baking.
Can a KitchenAid make panettone?
For a small batch of one or two panettoni, yes, on a low speed and with breaks to keep the dough cool. For regular production, a spiral mixer is much more reliable.
Need help setting up?
Tell us how many panettoni you want to make per week and we will suggest a mixer, proofer and oven that fit your kitchen. WhatsApp us on 017-805 6033.