Panettone

The day before, mix flour and water with some sourdough starter, cover and leave at room temperature overnight.

Also the day before, soak chopped dried fruit (pineapple, cherry, golden raisin) in white rum overnight, stirring occasionally.

Next day, dissolve a package of yeast in very warm water and leave about 10 minutes.

Add a couple of eggs, white sugar, vanilla extract and grated orange and lemon zest and whisk; add the starter and all purpose flour, then the salt.

Knead with the dough hook in a stand mixer about 10 minutes until very smooth and elastic, scraping down as needed; pulled with a spatula it should snap back.

Add room-temperature butter and knead about five minutes more until fully mixed in and the dough is smooth, elastic and somewhat shiny; it is very soft and somewhat sticky.

With damp fingers and a bench scraper fold it into a ball; check gluten with a windowpane stretch.

Cover in the bowl and rise until doubled, about three hours.

Punch down, fold back into a ball, seal in a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight for flavour and texture.

Press the cold dough into a rectangle, sprinkle with a little flour and roll thinner; scatter over the soaked fruit and roll up tightly, then roll both ends toward the middle into a round with smooth dough on top.

Set in a paper panettone mold, cover and proof until at least two-thirds of the way up the sides, about three or four hours from cold.

Brush with egg wash, cut across the top a quarter to a half inch deep so it rises into the dome, and set a small piece of butter in the middle.

Bake in the centre of a 350 degree oven about 40 to 45 minutes until beautifully browned.

Push two skewers through either side and cool upside down for two hours, suspended over a Dutch oven or stockpot, so it does not collapse.

Remove the skewers and slice; best lightly toasted with butter.