Savory Panettone is a rustic, soft and tasty savory cake; an easy to make variation on the classic Italian panettone, a very elaborate traditional Milanese Christmas cake.
I filled it with olives, salami, and provolone cheese, but you can add your favorite ingredients. Quick and easy, this recipe is great for those who are beginners in the kitchen.
Simply combine the ingredients one at a time in a large bowl. Mix well and pour the dough into the special panettone pan. You can bake it without any resting or rising time! In fact, I have used instant yeast for savory pies. The leavening takes place during baking, so it's very quick to prepare.
To make savory panettone, you have to use an ingredient that you would never expect to use in a savory pie! This ingredient in the dough makes it very soft indeed!
This panettone is perfect to serve as an appetizer before the main course at Christmas dinners or to enhance a savory buffet.
This quick and easy savory panettone is great served warm or at room temperature. This means you can make it ahead of time and have it ready for Christmas lunch or New Year's Eve dinner.
Savory Panettone is not only very tasty, but also very decorative. Thanks to the olives sprinkled on the surface, which simulate the traditional raisins and candied fruit, it's reminiscent of classic panettone.
You are sure to impress your guests with this recipe! So let's see how you can make this easy treat for your holiday dinners!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 10 Min | Cook Time: 1 H | Servings: 6
Doses for a 750 g (1.65 pound) panettone paper pan mold
- 300 g (1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons) of "00" flour
- 125 ml (½ cup) of whole milk yogurt
- 100 ml (~½ cup) of whole milk
- 100 ml (~½ cup) of sunflower oil
- 3 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 3 eggs
- 6 g (1 ½ teaspoons) of instant dry yeast
- 70 g (2.5 oz) of pitted olives
- 100 g (3.5 oz) of salami. Try Italian Salame Piacentino DOP
- 150 g (5 oz) of provolone DOP
- ½ of teaspoon of fine salt
- a little rosemary (optional)
Instructions
Step 1) - In a large bowl, crack 3 eggs, add ½ teaspoon of fine salt and mix a little with a hand whisk. It's not necessary to beat up the eggs, just break the them and mix well. Then add 125 ml (½ cup) of whole milk yogurt and mix well again with the whisk.
Step 2) - Now add 100 ml (~½ cup) of whole milk and 100 ml (~½ cup) of sunflower oil, one ingredient at a time. Whisk to incorporate. Then add 3 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and mix.
Step 3) - At this point, add 300 g (1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons) "00" flour, a little at a time (in two or three batches), always mixing with a whisk to avoid lumps. Finally, add 7 g (1 packet, ¼ oz) of instant dry yeast, sifted. The dough should be soft but firm. Not too runny to prevent the other ingredients from settling to the bottom.
Step 4) - On a cutting board, dice 100 g (3.5 oz) of salami and 150 g (5 oz) of provolone. If you have already sliced salami, that's fine too. Cut it into strips.
Step 5) - Now add the salami and cheese to the panettone mixture. Also add about ¾ of 70 grams (2.5 ounces) of pitted olives. The rest will be added later as decoration. If you like, you can flavor savory panettone with coarsely chopped rosemary (optional). Mix everything well with a spoon.
PLEASE NOTE: I used small olives. If you have large olives, chop them into smaller pieces.
Step 6) - Pour the mixture into a 750 gram (1.65 pound) panettone paper mold. Use a spoon to level the surface so that the dough rises evenly over the edges of the mold.
Step 7) - Add a few olives to the top to create the visual effect of raisins in traditional sweet panettone. Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C (347°F) on the middle rack for about an hour.
Step 8) - After about an hour, test with a long toothpick to be sure it's done. It should come out dry. Remove the savory panettone from the oven and let it cool. Remove the paper from the pan and arrange on a serving dish.
PLEASE NOTE: It's very important to wait until the panettone becomes warm. If you cut it while it is still hot, the slices will break. When it cools down, the center will compact properly.
If you like, you can decorate the savory panettone by wrapping it with a Christmas ribbon. It will be beautiful to look at and, I assure you, really super soft and delicious!
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- Parmigiano Balls
- Savory Cannoli
- Cheese Bread
- Speck Wrapped Chestnuts
- Christmas Tree Cheese Spread with Ricotta and Olives
Storage
You can store savory panettone at room temperature for 2-3 days, covered with cling film or kept under a dome.
It can be frozen whole or sliced after baking. It will keep in the freezer for 1-2 months.
How to Serve
Here some useful tips:
- VEGETABLES: Savory Panettone is perfect as an appetizer or in party buffets. It can be enjoyed alone or with giardiniera or grilled vegetables.
- SALAMI AND CHEESE: Pair it with cream cheese spreads or mixed cold cuts.
- TEMPERATURE: Your savory panettone will be perfect either warm or at room temperature.
- MAKE IN ADVANCE: You can make it a few hours in advance (I recommend it) or even the day before, storing it in a food storage bag. Warm it slightly before serving.
Variations
I have suggested a filling of salami and provolone. Of course, you can change the filling ingredients to suit your taste.
- COLD CUTS AND CHEESE: Any stringy cheese will do, any salami will be perfect. For example, if you like a smoky flavor, you can use smoked scamorza and bacon. For a milder flavor, I recommend mozzarella and ham.
- VEGETABLES: You can even replace the salami with vegetables. For example, you can use diced zucchini or eggplant. I recommend not adding raw vegetables to the mixture. Just cook them in a pan with a little oil, salt and a clove of garlic for a few minutes. Chopped peppers of different colors are also perfect. The peppers add a wonderful flavor to the dough and also simulate the candied fruit of the classic sweet version.
- OLIVES: If you do not like olives, you can omit and substitute them. For example, you could use chopped sun-dried tomatoes or capers.
- DRIED FRUIT: A very original and tasty idea is to add roughly chopped dried fruit. For example, walnuts, pistachios or pine nuts. Dried fruit works well in both sweet and savory dishes, adds a touch of crunch and is often used during the holiday season.
So let your imagination run wild!
Recipe Card
Savory Panettone Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g flour 1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons of "00" flour
- 125 ml yogurt ½ cup, whole and plain
- 100 ml milk ~½ cup, whole
- 100 ml sunflower oil ~½ cup
- 3 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 3 eggs
- 6 g dry yeast 1 ½ teaspoons, instant
- 70 g olives 2.5 oz, pitted
- 100 g salami 3.5 oz
- 150 g provolone 5 oz
- ½ salt of teaspoon
- rosemary to taste (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, crack 3 eggs, add ½ teaspoon of fine salt and mix a little with a hand whisk. It's not necessary to beat up the eggs, just break the them and mix well. Then add 125 ml (½ cup) of whole milk yogurt and mix well again with the whisk.
- Add 100 ml (~½ cup) of whole milk and 100 ml (~½ cup) of sunflower oil, one ingredient at a time. Whisk to incorporate. Then add 3 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and mix.
- Add 300 g (1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons) "00" flour, a little at a time (in two or three batches), always mixing with a whisk to avoid lumps. Finally, add 7 g (1 packet, ¼ oz) of instant dry yeast, sifted. The dough should be soft but firm. Not too runny to prevent the other ingredients from settling to the bottom.
- Dice 100 g (3.5 oz) of salami and 150 g (5 oz) of provolone. If you have already sliced salami, that's fine too. Cut it into strips.
- Add the salami and cheese to the panettone mixture. Also add about ¾ of 70 grams (2.5 ounces) of pitted olives. The rest will be added later as decoration. If you like, you can flavor savory panettone with coarsely chopped rosemary (optional). Mix everything well with a spoon.
- Pour the mixture into a 750 gram (1.65 pound) panettone paper mold. Use a spoon to level the surface so that the dough rises evenly over the edges of the mold.
- Add a few olives to the top to create the visual effect of raisins in traditional sweet panettone. Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C (347°F) on the middle rack for about an hour.
- After about an hour, test with a long toothpick to be sure it's done. It should come out dry. Remove the savory panettone from the oven and let it cool. Remove the paper from the pan and arrange on a serving dish.
Notes
- Doses for a 750 g (1.65 pound) panettone paper pan mold.
- It's very important to wait until the panettone becomes warm. If you cut it while it is still hot, the slices will break. When it cools down, the center will compact properly.
- If you like, you can decorate the savory panettone by wrapping it with a Christmas ribbon. It will be beautiful to look at and, I assure you, really super soft and delicious!
Cathy Varone-Smith says
on the savory panettone what's the timing for it to rise? like a loaf of bread? Thank you
Barbara Felicità Lucchini says
Hi Cathy,
No rising is needed for this recipe. The rising is done during baking