Savory Cheese and Sausage Panettone

By Erin McDowell

A twist on a traditional Italian holiday sweet bread, which is often studded with inclusions like candied fruit and nuts. This savory version is filled with cubed Kaltbach™ Le Gruyère® AOP Cheese, chunks of dried salami, dried apples, and toasted pecans for an impressive holiday loaf.
Yield
1 loaf
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total Time

Ingredients

  • 3 ¾ cups (452 grams) all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (71 grams) light brown sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon instant yeast
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2/3 cup (150 grams) whole milk, warmed to about 80°F
  • 3 large (170 grams) eggs
  • 2 tablespoons (39 grams) honey
  • 5 ounces (142 grams) soft unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup (120 grams) minced dried salami
  • 3/4 cup (150 grams) finely diced Kaltbach™ Le Gruyère® AOP Cheese
  • 3/4 cup (65 grams) diced dried apples
  • 1/2 cup (85 grams) chopped toasted pecans
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Flaky sea salt

Method

  1. Make the dough: in an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, milk, eggs, and honey on low speed until well combined, 3 minutes. Raise speed to medium and begin to add the butter about 1 tablespoon at a time, taking about 2-3 minutes to incorporate it. Once all the butter is incorporated, continue to mix until the dough is very smooth, 5 minutes more.
  2. Place the dough into a bowl greased with nonstick spray, and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature 10-12 hours – the dough should nearly triple in volume – if it appears to be rising too quickly, you can refrigerate it.
  3. On lightly floured surface, roll out or pat out the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Sprinkle the salami, cheese, apples, and pecans evenly over the surface, then fold the dough over onto itself from the outside in. Knead it a few times to incorporate the ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15-30 minutes.
  4. Place a paper panettone mold on a baking sheet. Gently round the dough into a ball and place it, seam side down, inside the prepared mold. Cover the surface with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the dough rises at least ½ inch over the top of the mold, about 3-4 hours (it may take longer if the room is very cold).
  5. Towards the end of rise time, preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white + water together to combine. Brush evenly over the surface of the dough, and garnish with flaky sea salt. Score an ‘x’ into the surface of the dough using a razor or sharp scissors. Bake the panettone until the surface is very dark, 50-60 minutes, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs (a thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 190°).
  6. Let cool completely – traditionally, this is done by poking two 12-inch skewers about fully through the loaf about 1 inch from the base, and hanging the loaf upside-down over a large stockpot. Cooling upside-down helps prevent the loaf from collapsing or wrinkling as it cools, because it’s structure is quite delicate.
  7. Cut the cooled loaf into wedges to serve.