🍡Skewer tip: do it now, and do it gently

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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 ⭐🔥

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🍡Skewer tip: do it now, and do it gently