Innovative tradition

Chestnuts innovate the most classic Christmas cake
Innovative tradition

If there is an area in which tradition and innovation meet perfectly, this is undoubtedly the kitchen. We are not referring to its furnishings only, but also to the subtle art of reinventing the classic dishes, which thanks to small variations renew without distorting themselves or the history they are part of.

What we propose is the recipe of panettone with chestnut flour from the pastry shop Salvetti (www.forneriasalvetti.it), a variation that perhaps, more than an innovation, is the convergence of two great classics of northern Italy: the Christmas panettone and chestnuts, a fruit so widespread in eating habits that the chestnut also had the name of 'bread tree'.

A challenging recipe based on two doughs, that however will make your Christmas special and full of traditional flavours.

Panettone with chestnut flour

Ingredients for the first dough

  • ready natural yeast - 100 grams
  • soft wheat flour type 0 - 400 grams
  • sugar – 120 grams
  • butter – 100 grams
  • water – 140 grams
  • yolks – 120 grams

Method

Put in the planetary the flour, the water at a 22-24 ° C temperature, the sugar and, once the dough is formed, add the soft butter, the mother yeast and the yolks. Let the tool work the dough until it is smooth, making sure that it does not become too glossy, i.e. too much processed. Put the dough to rise for 10-12 hours at a temperature of 26-28 ° C until its volume is tripled.

Into the kneader, transfer the leavened dough to an initial volume of three times and add:

Ingredients

  • soft wheat flour type 0 - 100 grams
  • chestnut flour - 15 g.
  • yolks - 130 grams
  • sugar - 100 grams
  • honey - 25 grams
  • butter - 150 grams
  • salt - 8 grams
  • water - 70 grams
  • marron glacés- 200 grams
  • vanilla powder - 2.5 grams

Method

Knead, adding flour and aromas to the dough, work it until it becomes smooth. Add the sugar and honey with the egg yolks (one half), integrate the whole, work until you get a smooth and homogeneous paste, add salt with some more egg yolk. Remix the dough until it is formed again and add the soft but not melted butter, the remaining egg yolk and all the water.

Pour the marron glacés, continue kneading for 3-4 minutes until the dough is uniform.

Prepare the pieces on the boards, round and form loaves, place them at a temperature of 28 ° C for a period of 40-60 minutes. Then, repeat the rounding of the loaf shaping it tightly and put the dough in the appropriate panettone pancake cup.

Let rise at a temperature of 28 ° C almost up to the edge of the mould then glaze with the mass of amaretto or, using a razor blade, cut it by a cross pattern (if you cut, add a knob of butter in the middle: this is the traditional Milanese panettone).

The leavening in the band can last 6 or 7 hours depending on the climate-humidity or the strength of the pasta, but above all on the richness of the raw materials.

For the icing of one panettone

  • raw almonds - 75 grams
  • apricot kernels - 25 grams
  • hazelnuts - 50 grams
  • sugar - 300 grams
  • corn flour - 10 grams
  • starch - 10 grams
  • egg white - 50 grams

Method

Finely grind all things dry in the mixer, then add the egg white, or after having reduced to powder all the dry ingredients, work in a planetary with a medium whisk at medium speed (in the mixer you get a better glaze, and you gain time).

Cooking times:

For 1000 grams panettone - 175 ° C 52 minutes