Fruit Bread (Italian Panettone)

Emigrants have popularized panettone all over the world, but this bread originated in Milan. The name is thought to be a contraction of pane (Italian for "bread"), and Tonio, the name of a poor baker who, according to folklore, either used the bread to woo a young lady or to pay his daughter's dowry. Nuts, candied fruit, and in more contemporary incarnations, chocolate chunks are folded into the dough, which is baked in a pretty paper mold.  In North American this fruit bread is served at Christmas.

1 Tbsp. + 1½ tsp. active dry yeast (two ¼ oz env)
1/3 cup whole milk, warmed
14 oz bread flour, unbleached (about 3 cups), + more for surface
¼ cup sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten, + 1 large egg
1½ tsp. coarse sea salt
10 oz (2½ sticks) butter, room temperature
5½ oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (1¼ cups)
1 cup candied (glazed) orange peel, diced
½ tsp. pure almond extract
½ tsp. pure orange extract
vegetable oil, for bowl
2 tsp. best quality unsweetened cocoa powder
pearl sugar, for sprinkling
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. sliced almonds, for sprinkling

Sprinkle yeast over milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle 2 oz flour (about ½ cup) and 1 Tbsp. sugar over top. Cover with plastic, and let stand for 1 hour.

Add remaining 12 oz flour and 3 Tbsp. sugar, the beaten eggs, and the salt. Mix together on medium speed until dough forms a smooth, stiff ball, about 5 minutes. Add butter, 1 Tbsp.at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Switch to paddle attachment, and mix dough on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add chocolate, orange peel, and extracts. Mix until combined.

Turn out dough onto a clean surface, and form into a ball. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate overnight.

Bring dough to room temperature, and divide in half. Form each half into a ball, place each in a 5¼x3¾" paper panettone mold (goldaskitchen.com). Transfer to a baking sheet. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Lightly beat remaining egg and the cocoa powder together. Brush glaze mixture onto panettone dough, and sprinkle with pearl sugar and almonds. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes.

Remove molds from oven, and run a wooden skewer horizontally through the bottom of each panettone loaf. Hang loaves upside down by propping ends of each skewer on 2 large, heavy cans. Let cool completely.

Cook's Note: The flour's weight is more important than its volume, so use a kitchen scale if you have one.