Panettone is traditional Milanese bread that originates from Italy. This bread is sweet and rich with bits of orange peel and raisins. The rationale of this project is to introduce new bread varieties into Singapore by formulating a Panettone recipe which suits the local palate. The product should have similar shelf life as the commercial Italian panettones. Different formulations were tried out by varying the amount of various ingredients. Sensory tests were then conducted to determine their acceptance by consumer panels. Chemical and physical tests were also conducted to study and compare the shelf life factors of the Panettone prototypes. The objectives of the project were to:

• formulate a standard recipe for Panettone
• improve the existing formulation by incorporating / modifying ingredients and altering processing steps to create a product with a longer shelf life and with similar sensory quality to commercial panettone

Conclusion:

A formulation that met most of the target ranges of attributes set by commercial Panettones was successfully developed. This included variations like Mother Sponge variations, enzyme variations and bread improver variations. The bread improver lowered the acidity of the dough to a desirable range without adverse effects to the taste. The mother sponge made it more moist and tasty and gave it a more cake-like texture. Physical and chemical and sensory tests were conducted on the product and the results were comparable to that of commercial products. Further studies are still underway to explore the effects of enzymes and flavouring.