I have never laminated my panettone before. This process involves spreading the plain dough very thin and then spread out the suspensions/inclusions on the dough. Then the dough is folded in to create layers, so to speak. The end result, if done right, is a panettone with open holes that gives the illusion of open crumb. Let me first preface by saying I've never been a fan of lamination. Many people laminate their sourdough breads "to build strength" but for me, I have the tendency to trap unnecessary air in the dough, creating tunnels that are unsightly.
It is a topic of discussion as there are believers and also skeptics. I for one, have not done it before and this being my first time, I can tell you that it is more easily done if you only mix a small batch. If you mix a batch of 6, 8 or more panettones at once, this is actually a tedious task. You might want to first divide the doughs, and you also need extra space to pull the dough thin. There is also a need in balancing the folds. I think I folded my dough a bit too much to fit in all the inclusions and the dough became a bit tight. When the dough is too tight, the volume of oven spring is affected.
This is a laminated white chocolate panettone. I used 630g plain dough and 150g white chocolate. Total dough is 780g for a 750g alto mold. This is the usual weight I use. The oven spring is not as tall as my last few bakes and I'm not sure what to think of this crumb. To be fair, I'm using a different recipe and my dough felt a little inferior compared to the Giorilli's recipe that I shared before.
I should have used Giorilli's recipe, and make lamination the only variable I changed. Then again, I tend to do things a little impulsively, making last minute decisions.
The good thing about lamination is that with the same plain dough, you're free to add whatever you want to different panettones. I made the base dough with orange flavour, and I used candied peels in some and bittersweet chocolates in others. This is the only white chocolate, because I have a family member who is a fan of it.
So in short, yes, I think with the heightened difficulty of getting an open crumb panettone through fermentation only, lamination is one of the "hacks" that will create more air into the panettone. I've seen some bakers use this technique beautifully, producing panettone with gorgeous open crumb. Not like the one I'm showing you here. Please excuse me, but it is my first try after all. Will I try it again? I'm not too sure. Maybe I'll just portion out one single panettone to try this technique again. After all, I find joy in learning different things. I'm not here to bash other's techniques. I'm here to experience different things, and then, to find one that is more suited to myself.
Have you tried this? Please share your experience with me in comments.
Happy baking!
Lily.
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