The production stages of the Homemade Panettone
RISING:
Natural yeast - Production of natural yeast
Every day throughout the year, including public or bank holidays, Pasticceria Scarpato produces 10 kg of a dough called "natural yeast" or "mother yeast", which is made of flour, water and 1 kg of natural yeast from the previous day. Once this dough is smooth and soft, it is left to rest in a special environment where it can rise. This dough will then be used the next day. This continuous, uninterrupted regeneration of the natural yeast allows you to find in each and every panettone the quality of the sourdough originally created by Mr. Scarpato in his bakery to get the fragrance, lightness and flavour that characterize all Scarpato’s leavened products.
 
First Phase
The first production phase involves carefully selecting and testing the raw materials that come to Scarpato’s premises and that are then subject to further checks by the Quality Control Division. All deliveries come with the relevant technical data sheets for the validation of compliance with the specifications agreed upon with the supplier, which is then filed. During the peak production season, the main raw materials (such as butter, flour, etc) are supplied on a weekly basis, while eggs are supplied every day. The initial phase - DOUGH NO. 1 - takes place in an area dedicated to the production of "dough" and which meets specific technical requirements. This dough is the result obtained by kneading machines that mix, with appropriate dosages, the aforementioned natural yeast with raw materials such as flour, water, sugar and egg mixture. When the dough becomes smooth, it is stored in special containers while it rises - RISING NO.1 - for at least two hours.
Second Phase
Once the expected volume is reached, this dough is placed back into the kneading machines together with flour, sugar, water, egg mixture and compressed yeast, in order to form DOUGH NO. 2. This dough is placed in special containers and left to rise for at least an hour. At this time RISING NO. 2 starts. At the same time, butter, sugar, glucose, water and milk - in different quantities according to the recipe to obtain - are mixed in a suitable container. This phase is called EMULSION. The dough obtained with rising no. 2 is then placed in special kneading machines together with flour, sugar, egg mixture, egg yolk, salt, raisins (put to soak in 30 litres of beer VIOLA BIONDA 5.6 forty-eight hours before) and the emulsion obtained previously. A FINAL DOUGH of 400 kg of panettone dough is obtained. When this dough has reached a certain elasticity, homogeneity and density level, it is then brought into another dedicated area for BREAKING. Here it is broken into1080gr loaves, which are stored in ramekins made of special paper for leavened products.
Third Phase
Once the appropriate volume is reached, this dough is placed back into the kneading machines together with flour, sugar, water, egg mixture and compressed yeast, in order to form DOUGH NO. 2. This dough is placed in special containers and left to rise for at least an hour. At this time RISING NO. 2 starts. At the same time, butter, sugar, glucose, water and milk - in different quantities according to the recipe - are mixed in a suitable container. This phase is called EMULSION. The dough obtained with rising no. 2 is then placed in special kneading machines together with flour, sugar, egg mixture, egg yolk, salt, raisins (put to soak in 30 litres of VIOLA BIONDA 5.6 beer forty-eight hours before) and the emulsion obtained previously. A FINAL DOUGH of 400 kg of panettone dough is obtained. When this dough has reached a certain elasticity, homogeneity and density level, it is then brought into another dedicated area for BREAKING. Here it is broken into1080gr loaves, which are stored in ramekins made of special paper for leavened products
BAKING:
At this point, the entire production is moved to the baking area, where first of all a cross is cut manually into the top surface of the panettone to facilitate its final development. The raw panettone is then loaded into the entrance of the oven which, automatically and at different temperatures, BAKES it, generally for more than an hour. In addition to baking, the panettone also rises in volume, forming a sort of “dome” that protrudes from the paper ramekin according to certain pre-established measures.
FINAL STAGES:
Once out of the oven the panettone is baked and ready.
The day’s production is divided into batches and placed upside down on special trolleys for cooling - also called DRYING - which occurs at ambient temperature until the next day, and therefore for a time that is never less than 10 hours. When the panettone is cool, a statistical check of the entire production of the previous day is carried out on a predetermined number of cakes, by means of special equipment which tests the cakes according to specific temperature, humidity, free water and weight levels . If the percentage of non-compliant products is not within the predefined parameters, the entire batch is discarded. Batches which have passed the checks are placed into the BAGGING machines, which hermetically close the cake using a transparent plastic bag for food and a metal ring. During this operation, an additional visual inspection of each piece is carried out to eliminate those cakes which show imperfections in terms of their look and colour. During the final phase, LABELLING, the supplier name, the ingredients, the production batch, the weight of the product, the place of production, the tag and the customer’s label are placed on the product. The panettone is then placed in a carton. Cartons can be stacked on pallets. Each carton has a label showing the data identifying the product. Finally, cartons are stored – STORING – in a properly ventilated area.