Panettone recipe

Put the wholemeal flour, yeast, and milk into a bowl, stir to combine.

Cover with a large upturned mixing bowl and set aside to make a thick lightly spongy and bubbly paste, for about two hours.

Finely grate the orange rind into a large mixing bowl, pour on the orange juice and vanilla extract and beat together well.

Add the flour and first dough and stir to make a sticky dough.

Continue stirring with a spoon, or with your hands, until the dough has turned in the bowl for 100 presses without adding flour.

Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place, for eight hours or overnight, to double in size and have a spongy appearance.

Put the white flour and butter into a clean mixing bowl and using a fork or a pastry blender, work them together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Tip this into the bowl containing the second.

Break the egg into a bowl, beat well and add it to the second dough.

Gather the dough and knead it in the bowl with your hands or with a spoon for 100 presses without adding further flour.

Cover with a large upturned mixing bowl and leave in a warm place to double in size, for about 4-6 hours.

Line the base and sides of a 15cm deep, round, loose bottom cake tin with a double layer of parchment or greaseproof paper which is 15cm tall.

Add the sugar, mixed peel and sultanas to the third dough and knead it in the bowl for 100 presses without adding flour.

Shape the dough into a ball and put it into the prepared cake tin, pressing any fruit on the surface into the dough.

Cover with a large upturned mixing bowl and leave until the dough has trebled in size and is taller than the tin, for about 3-6 hours.

Adjust your oven shelves so that the panettone fits in easily and pre-heat the oven.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Take the panettone out of the oven and leave it in the tin for 3-4 minutes.

Gently turn the panettone out of its tin so that it is on its side on the work surface and remove the parchment.

Insert two wooden or metal skewers into the side of the panettone, halfway between the top and bottom of the panettone and 75mm apart.

Gently turn the panettone onto its base and push the skewers through so that the panettone is in the middle of the sticks.

Place the cake tin, without its base, over the panettone so that it rests on the BBQ sticks.

Gently turn the panettone over so the cake is hanging upside down in the tin, suspended on the BBQ sticks.

Leave to hang in this position until quite cold.

When cold, wrap in tin foil and store in a tin.

Before serving, sieve a teaspoon of icing sugar over the top.