Panettone with Candied Fruit

PreparationMake biga: In bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook, combine 1/3 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F) and sugar. Stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add flour and mix at low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until tripled in volume, about 3 hours. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Stir down starter, cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.) Start dough: In small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F) and yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Attach bowl containing biga to standing mixer fitted with dough hook, pour in yeast mixture, and mix at low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, sugar, and flour and mix at medium speed until shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until tripled in volume, about 3 hours. Finish dough and bake bread: Attach bowl containing dough to standing mixer fitted with dough hook and add flour, egg yolks, milk, honey, 1/4 cup sugar, and 10 tablespoons butter. Mix at medium speed until blended, about 3 minutes, then add salt, vanilla, and remaining sugar. Mix at medium speed until well blended, about 5 minutes more. With mixer running, add remaining 10 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at time. (Dough will become smooth and shiny and will pull away from sides of bowl.) Add candied fruit and raisins and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Form dough into ball and transfer to large bowl. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, about 3 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (8-inch) or 8 (3 1/2-inch) paper panettone molds. Punch down dough, then turn out onto work surface. Divide dough into 2 pieces and form each into ball. (If using small molds, divide dough into 8 small balls.) Place 1 ball in each mold. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise in warm, draft-free place until dough has risen past the rim and springs back when poked, about 1 hour. Bake until golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. To cool, stick 2 skewers through base of each mold and suspend bread upside down by resting skewers on 2 containers taller than bread. (This helps keep bread from deflating during cooling.) When loaves are cool, wrap well in plastic wrap, then in parchment or tissue paper. Store at room temperature.

PreparationMake biga: In bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook, combine 1/3 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F) and sugar. Stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add flour and mix at low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until tripled in volume, about 3 hours. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Stir down starter, cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.) Start dough: In small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F) and yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Attach bowl containing biga to standing mixer fitted with dough hook, pour in yeast mixture, and mix at low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, sugar, and flour and mix at medium speed until shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until tripled in volume, about 3 hours. Finish dough and bake bread: Attach bowl containing dough to standing mixer fitted with dough hook and add flour, egg yolks, milk, honey, 1/4 cup sugar, and 10 tablespoons butter. Mix at medium speed until blended, about 3 minutes, then add salt, vanilla, and remaining sugar. Mix at medium speed until well blended, about 5 minutes more. With mixer running, add remaining 10 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at time. (Dough will become smooth and shiny and will pull away from sides of bowl.) Add candied fruit and raisins and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Form dough into ball and transfer to large bowl. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, about 3 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (8-inch) or 8 (3 1/2-inch) paper panettone molds. Punch down dough, then turn out onto work surface. Divide dough into 2 pieces and form each into ball. (If using small molds, divide dough into 8 small balls.) Place 1 ball in each mold. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise in warm, draft-free place until dough has risen past the rim and springs back when poked, about 1 hour. Bake until golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. To cool, stick 2 skewers through base of each mold and suspend bread upside down by resting skewers on 2 containers taller than bread. (This helps keep bread from deflating during cooling.) When loaves are cool, wrap well in plastic wrap, then in parchment or tissue paper. Store at room temperature.