Bread Machine Panettone

Election week. The country is going through something that I watch carefully and at a distance, the way I watch most national things. I voted early in October, drove to the courthouse and stood in a short line in the cold and filled out the ballot and handed it in. That's the thing I can do and I do it without drama.

The result played out over several days, which was expected given the volume of mail-in ballots, and the period of uncertainty was a particular texture of American anxiety that I participated in mostly through the radio in the truck. I have strong views, which I keep largely private, in the way of people who live in places where the political spectrum is narrow but the specific opinions are loud. The ranch continues regardless. The cattle don't follow election results. This is not a metaphor. It's just a fact about working with animals.

Tom Whelan's daughter Claire came up from Colorado last week, stayed four days. I drove over Thursday and the three of us had dinner — Tom had made pot roast, which I didn't know he made and which was excellent, better than he admitted to. Claire is a woman in her early fifties, warm and direct, and she and Tom talk in the comfortable shorthand of family who have made their peace with each other over years of effort. She read from the manuscript. She cried twice, which Tom watched and didn't acknowledge. He was pleased, though. I could tell.

Made focaccia again — I've been making it more this fall as the weather gets worse and the urge to fill the kitchen with warm bread increases. Rosemary from the garden that I dried in September. Flaky salt. The ritual of dimpling the dough. The smell when it comes out of the oven. These small repetitions add up to something over a winter.

The focaccia I made that week got me thinking about what bread actually does in a house when everything outside feels unsettled — it steadies things, fills rooms with something warm, gives you something to do with your hands. I’ve been going back to bread machine panettone lately for the same reason: it’s methodical, it’s forgiving, and like the rosemary focaccia, it rewards patience. If you’re in a season of waiting and watching, putting a loaf together is a good way to spend part of an afternoon.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 3 hrs (bread machine) | Total Time: 3 hrs 20 min | Servings: 12

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm milk (110°F)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon anise extract (optional)
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries or candied citron
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots (optional)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (for brushing)

Instructions

Load the bread machine. Add ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order recommended by your machine’s manufacturer — typically liquids first: warm milk, eggs, egg yolk, softened butter, and vanilla extract.
Add dry ingredients. Measure in the salt, sugar, and bread flour. Make a small well in the center of the flour and add the yeast, keeping it away from the salt.
Select the setting. Choose the Sweet Bread or Basic cycle with a light or medium crust setting. Press start.
Add the fruit. When the machine signals for mix-ins (usually during the second knead cycle, around 30–40 minutes in), add the golden raisins, cranberries or citron, and apricots if using. If your machine doesn’t have a mix-in signal, add the fruit after the first knead cycle completes.
Let it run. Allow the full cycle to complete. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky — this is normal for panettone. Do not add extra flour.
Finish and cool. When the cycle ends, remove the pan promptly. Brush the top of the loaf with melted butter while still hot. Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing — the interior needs time to set.
Store. Wrap cooled panettone tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. It keeps well at room temperature for up to 4 days and toasts beautifully on day 2 and beyond.

Nutrition (per serving)

Bread Machine Panettone — Warm Bread for a Long Election Week