Start this recipe the night before you want to bake the Panettone. Make the starter by mixing together 8 oz warm water, 20 grams yeast, and 8 oz bread flour. Place this sticky dough into a bowl that is about twice the size of the dough (the dough will be rising), and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Set the dough in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, zest the orange and set the zest aside. Slice the orange in half and squeeze the juice of only one of the halves into a bowl. Add the orange liquor, cranberries, and raisins to the bowl of orange juice and mix together. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat for about 1 minute or until the mixture is hot to the touch. Set aside.

In a new bowl, mix together the orange zest and the granulated sugar. Using clean hands, rub the zest and sugar together.

In the bowl of a stand mixture, place the starter, egg yolks, sugar zest mixture, and vanilla. Use a dough hook and mix on medium high speed until mostly combined.

Add the flour and salt, then mix again. Once the flour has incorporated, add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time while the mixer is running.

After all the butter has been incorporated, knead the dough in the mixer on a medium to medium high speed until the dough is very smooth, this will take about 8-10 minutes.

Add the soaked fruit along with the juices into the dough, mix until combined.

Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the dough rest and rise in a warm location for 30-45 minutes.

After the rest, gently turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface, you may also grease your hands lightly. Very gently, to save as much of the air/rise in the dough as possible, stretch the dough just a bit, taking the top of the dough and folding it on top of itself to meet the bottom. Then do the same fold going from right to left, left to right, and bottom up to the top. Gently place the dough ball into the panettone mold, seam side facing down.

Cover the panettone and set in a warm place to rise. Once the dough has reached the top of the panettone mold you may move on to the next steps. The amount of time that this will take greatly depends on the warmth in the room, it could take 1 hour, it could take 3 hours, keep your eye on it, the warmer it is the faster it will rise.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

After the dough has risen, make an egg wash by mixing together 1 whole egg with about 1 tablespoon of water. Gently brush the top of the dough with the egg wash, then slice an “X” into the top with a sharp knife. Sprinkle the top with the Belgian pearl sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven at 375°F on a low shelf. Check on the panettone frequently to ensure the top is not burning or browning too much. If you find the top is browning too much, lay tinfoil over the top to protect it. The panettone is done when the interior has reached 200°F, this will likely take 30-45 minutes.

When the panettone is done baking, remove from the oven. Carefully stick two wooden or metal skewers through the panettone near the bottom, then cautiously flip the panettone upside down laying the ends of the skewers on supports taller than the panettone (cans of soup, stacks of books, and candle holders all work well). Watch the panettone carefully for the first bit to make sure the top is not breaking away from the body of the panettone, add small supports under the top of the panettone if necessary. Let cool completely.

Serve the panettone the same day or next day for the best texture, cut right before serving. Save leftovers in an airtight container.