You didn't come all this way, feeding your madre, building two doughs, and babysitting a long proof, to crush your panettone at the finish line. Pushing a skewer through that paper mold is where a lot of risen loaves get dented. Here's how I do it. 1. Put the skewers in before you bake, while the mold is sitting flat on the tray. Don't wait until the loaf is hot. 2. Lay the skewers across the top of the mold first. That shows you where they'll run, so you get two straight, parallel lines and even spacing on both sides. 3. Mark your spots about an inch above the base. 4. Don't poke your way in. Take your lahm and cut a small slit in the paper at each mark. The skewer slides right through without any pushing. 5. Ease the skewer across the dough. When you see the tip pressing against the far side, cut a slit there too and let it through. Cutting the paper is the least traumatic way in. Nothing gets squeezed and nothing deflates, and your skewers come out level. You'll be glad for that later. When these come out of the oven, they get flipped upside down and hung for twelve hours, and even skewers are what keep the loaf hanging straight. Henry ⭐🔥

This week's Bake-Along is panettone, and the lesson video is up. Panettone scares people. It shouldn't. It's a two-day bake, and most of that is waiting. What matters is six checkpoints, and I walk you through every one in the video. 1. Windowpane before butter 2. The first dough triples overnight 3. The final windowpane 4. Proof to one inch below the rim 5. 185°F in the center 6. Flip it within 60 seconds and hang it 12 hours Which one should you bake? If you've never made panettone, or you don't have a proven lievito madre, bake Your First Panettone. It uses a biga and a little instant yeast, and it makes a beautiful loaf. https://recipepantry.app/recipes/your-first-panettone If your madre triples in 3 to 4 hours at 82°F, go traditional. https://recipepantry.app/recipes/panettone-lievito-madre No madre yet? Start one today. It takes 3 to 4 weeks, which puts you right on time for a December bake. https://recipepantry.app/recipes/lievito-madre-conversion Timing: if you want to slice Saturday morning, mix your biga or start your refreshes Thursday morning. You'll need a 1kg paper mold, two long skewers, and a thermometer. Get those lined up now. Post your dough, your dome, and your crumb as you go. I'll take a look, or one of us will, and we'll help you sort out whatever goes sideways. Who's in? Tell me which version you're baking. Perfection is not required. Progress is. Henry ⭐🔥 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘣𝘦

Saturday, November 14, our working thread goes up at 5:30 AM ET, inside Crust and Crumb Academy, and I will be in it both days. Two days, two doughs, one tall, feathery loaf. Primo impasto Saturday. Secondo impasto and the bake Sunday, then it hangs upside down for twelve hours. Pick your path tonight, and read your recipe tonight, not Saturday morning. Madre path, the traditional Milanese way, for a madre that triples in 3 to 4 hours at 82F: https://recipepantry.app/recipes/panettone-lievito-madre Yeasted path, Your First Panettone, a two day method on a stiff biga, no starter required: https://recipepantry.app/recipes/your-first-panettone If your madre is not ready, bake the yeasted one this weekend and keep your madre going. That is the right call, not a fallback. No madre yet? Start converting tonight, three to four weeks, in time for a Christmas bake: https://recipepantry.app/recipes/lievito-madre-conversion Gather tonight: 1 kg paper panettone mold, two long skewers, probe thermometer (185F internal), candied orange peel, candied citron, sultanas or raisins, strong bread flour 13 to 14 percent protein, and a stand mixer for the long knead. If your schedule pushes you a day off, that is fine. Post whenever you get there. Nobody is racing. Henry ⭐🔥

Pulled another great recipe from the pantry. It was requested from hubby. Using the sourdough - yeast converter is so convenient.

I am really enjoying baking with spelt flour. I was playing with the rye and oats added to this. The chocolate it called for was for color while baking it permeated the whole house and made me crave for chocolate and smelled heavenly. I added double the chocolate it called for more flavor and color. I also doubled the seeds and added pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, black and golden sesame seeds and caraway seeds. I love nuts and added that on top of it. 🌻 🎃 This was the first time I used my Cambro and it was fun monitoring how the bulk fermentation was going. Watch the dough and not the clock. I could see all the lovely bubbles from the LM sourdough fermenting. 😍🤎💖 I roasted my seeds in a frying pan and thank-you, Daddio @Henry Hunter for teaching me to do this in a small frying pan. I actually did it right this time round as I actually saw the oil in the pan. Doing this to the nuts enhanced the flavors and it was very delicious. The rye bread is very heavy and very filling and I really enjoyed it a lot. I loved the sourness that it produced. I would definitely bake this in the future again. 🍞 🍫❤️ The LM was a challenge as I had to add a tablespoon of water to the eye ball the correct consistency. I am so in love with this delicious and wonderful healthy rye bread. 💞💖🤎 @Dave Green My rye bread and I was being creative as the recipe did not call for caraway seeds. I added some in the inclusions. 🍞 🍫🌻