The nutritional properties of panettone do not in any way match the need of contemporary Western man - given the continuous tendency to overweight and to metabolic pathologies linked to hyper-malnutrition (for example type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, hyperuricemia etc). Panettone is a high-calorie food, rich in carbohydrates - many of which are soluble - and in fats - most of which are saturated. There is no lack of cholesterol. This makes it unsuitable for the ordinary diet, not only for the obese or the patient with metabolic pathologies, but also for the healthy subject. In the next paragraphs we will go into more detail regarding its nutritional properties - positive and negative - and the role in the diet - of the healthy person and subjects with particular conditions or inherent diseases.
The consumption of panettone is purely winter, especially during the Christmas holidays. The average portion should be as small as possible, preferably placed away from main meals, and the frequency sporadic.
it is mainly supplied by carbohydrates and lipids; proteins, on the other hand, are less relevant. The carbohydrates are mainly complex, but the fraction of the soluble ones is still abundant. Fatty acids, which are lacking in detail in the table, should be largely saturated, although this does not mean that they are prevalent over unsaturated ones. The peptides, provided above all by wheat flour and eggs, have promiscuous characteristics between medium and high biological value.
Even if not specified in the table, the cholesterol intake - in addition to that already mentioned in saturated fat - is certainly very high. Fiber is present, even if this food - due to the negative nutritional characteristics that we are about to describe - cannot be considered a relevant nutritional source. Being a leavened cake made from wheat flour, the panettone brings gluten. Containing butter and, if filled, also creams containing milk, it also provides a certain amount of lactose. It is not rich in histamine but is made up of eggs, histaminoliberative foods. The purine level is medium, as is the phenylalanine amino acid level.
The intake of vitamins is not well documented. Many water-soluble molecules of group B should be abundant, such as thiamine (vit B1), niacin (vit PP) etc; moreover, the levels of fat-soluble substances: retinol and equivalents may not be negligible ( RAE) - composed of precursors and the same vitamin A - and calciferol (vitamin D). Among the mineral salts only iron is found in excellent quantities, thanks to the notable presence of egg yolk - moreover, the same source of fat-soluble vitamins.
Panettone does not lend itself to the diet of celiacs and the most sensitive lactose intolerants. It has no contraindications for hyperuricemia. Containing eggs, potentially histaminoliberative foods, the panettone should be consumed in moderation in the "intolerance to" histamine. Having an intermediate protein content, it is not totally to be avoided, but not even to be taken freely, in case of phenylketonuria.
Panettone cannot be considered a useful source of fiber, vitamins and mineral salts. This is because, even though it contains some interesting nutritional levels, it has consumption limitations such that the portion and frequency would not be relevant on the overall nutritional balance.
The energy intake of the panettone is very high and for this reason we recommend a sporadic consumption of the food, preferably only referring to the Christmas period. It is not possible to establish a recommendable portion of panettone as, in the role of Christmas cake, tradition would like it to be consumed at the end of the two main meals; from an exclusively nutritional point of view, there is no practicable and / or advisable portion, as it should be totally avoided after very large meals. The "only useful and" reasonable "advice would be not to overdo it and possibly use the leftover panettone for breakfast or snacks - therefore not for lunch and / or dinner - on the days following the holidays, in order to contextualize the food "at least worst" to reduce the attitude to put on weight - typical of this period of the year.
At breakfast or as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, panettone can be consumed in portions of 30 g (about 100 kcal).
mother, requires a certain dexterity, experience and feeling with the instrumentation - especially with the oven. Getting a good panettone right on the first try can be a "difficult" task, which is why it is advisable to first try a few test attempts.
For more information, watch the videos of Alice, our Personal Cooker:
- Panettone Homemade
- Homemade Vegan Panettone.
In case it wasn't clear enough, the two "essential" ingredients for the panettone are: flour and natural yeast. Flours are not all the same, just as yeasts do not proliferate in the same way - an aspect which is significantly influenced by environmental conditions: temperature, humidity, ventilation, substrate, initial quantity of microorganisms, presence of limiting molecules, etc.). It is possible to obtain similar (but not the same) results by preferring more or less strong flours and more or less effective organic starters (or different leavening conditions). First of all, we describe the "live" ingredient of the panettone: the acid dough. This can be defined as "the" acid produced by the fermentation of the dough itself which has the function of triggering a further ferment in the compound to which it is added ". The sourdough must be at the right level of ripeness, neither too fresh nor too acidic. It triggers the leavening of the panettone and allows it to produce bubbles of carbon dioxide which are then trapped in the gluten network; moreover, it favors the action of the aromatic lactobacilli but blocks contamination by pathogens. The sourdough is based on flour, water and specific yeasts.
The procedure for the panettone involves the formulation of a specific pre-dough: it starts by combining water, flour, egg yolk, sour dough and butter; everything will rise for 12-16 hours at a temperature of 18-20 ° C to triple in volume.The pre-dough is then put in the mixer incorporating the other ingredients; flour first, in order to give strength and structure to the panettone; then slowly: sugar, more egg yolk, butter, clean vanilla beans, salt (optional - it helps to strengthen the gluten and counteracts the sweet taste), raisins and candied fruit. The final dough of the panettone is then left to rest for 50 "at room temperature.
If the dough is abundant, the dividing takes place, with which pieces of about 1000-1100g will be obtained; these are then subjected to pirlatura (hand processing to give the specific shape) and placed in paper cups in which they further levitate to 25 ° C for 6 hours (during which they double in volume).
After the rest, the panettone is scarpato (procedure with which a cross is engraved at the top); it follows cooking in the oven at 160-170 ° C for about 50-60 ". At the end, the panettone is skewered with irons and" seasoned upside down "for about 10 hours.
Today, the panettone industry is almost totally automated and equipped with: large mixers, dividers, weighers, leavening chambers, huge ovens and seasoning warehouses.
Panettone Homemade
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Vegan Panettone - Without Milk, Butter, Eggs
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- Cook the sugars
- Cook the proteins
- Cook the fats.
Being obtained from the baking of a leavened dough with natural starters, the panettone also has a rather swollen shape; the section is circular and, developing upwards, takes on the appearance of a cylinder that ends at the top with a wider and more rounded protuberance - the result of the last leavening phase - similar to the cap of a mushroom.
On the outside, the panettone is brown in color, possibly variegated due to the presence of other ingredients - candied fruit, sultanas, light or dark glazes, chocolate, etc. The crumb, on the other hand, is distinctly yellow - the color given to it by the egg yolk.
Panettone has a characteristic flavor and aroma, among which are clearly distinguishable: eggs, butter and natural yeast; the prevailing taste is sweet.
The texture of the crumb is almost as elastic as fresh table bread, from which it differs in the presence of a thinner and much less crumbly crust. The presence of butter guarantees a certain softness even after several days of storage.
of the Italian vocabulary of the spoken language "- Giuseppe Rigutini - 1876.
Did you know that ...
The tradition of making and giving special breads - therefore also sweets - for the solemnities of the religious calendar was however widespread throughout the "old continent".
Despite being an archaic recipe, remember that the Milanese panettone has remained more or less unchanged throughout history - flour, sugar, eggs, butter, raisins, candied citron and orange peel, vanilla flavor and natural yeast or dough acid - except for the mechanization and reworking of some steps in the process.
