Tangzhong Panettone With Irish Cream & Figs

Directions

1. For the tangzhong:
2. Start at around evening time two days before serving. In a small pot, whisk together the Baileys, milk, and flour until smooth. Set over medium heat. Whisk and cook until the mixture has thickened to a loose paste. Chill the pot in an ice bath until completely cooled, about 20 minutes.

1. For the panettone:
2. Mix the milk and instant yeast, and set aside to soften for 10 minutes. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the cooked roux, yeast mixture, flour, sugar, egg yolks, egg, plain yogurt, sea salt, malt powder, and vanilla. Start mixing on medium speed for 10 minutes until you have a sticky and elastic dough. The dough will attempt to creep up the dough hook during the kneading process, so pause and scrape it down as needed. Mix the 3 more tablespoons of Baileys with 2 ice cubes (because of the high fat content of the dough, we need to keep the dough cool), and knead again for another 10 minutes.
3. Now start adding the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, and continue to knead on medium. Only add the next addition of butter when the previous one has been completely absorbed into the dough. Once all the butter is added, keep kneading for another 10 to 20 minutes, until the dough is very glossy, smooth, and elastic. The dough will be sticky, but should be able to be stretched thinly without breaking. If the surface of your dough looks dull and displays breakages during kneading, you need to add a few more ice cubes to cool down the dough. Remove the bowl from the mixture, and fold in the chestnuts and figs with a spatula.
4. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl at least twice the volume of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature (68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C) for about 12 hours. The next day around noon time, the dough should have fully doubled. If your home is cold, the rise may be slower, then you need to transfer the dough to somewhere warmer to speed it up.
5. At the very bottom of two paper panettone molds, make a small hole along the edge corner, and run a kitchen twine that goes through the center of the circle inside the mold and comes out at the opposite end. Then tie the two ends of the twine at the back. (This will allow you to hang the panettone upside down later on.) Gently scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two equal portions. Gently shape the dough into a ball by cupping it inside the palms of your hands and pull/scooch it towards yourself from several different directions. The friction between the dough and the countertop will tighten the ball for you without rough handling.
6. Place the dough inside the paper molds, cover with a damp towel, and place in a warm place to fully double again. Now, this will be an excruciatingly slow process. Even inside a 86°F (30°C) oven, it will take you at least 4 hours. If you do this at room temperature, it will take even longer. But it is crucial that you give the dough enough time to fully double again to yield the best result. If the damp towel dries out during the process, re-wet it to ensure the surface of the dough stays moist.
7. Once the dough is nearly there, heat the oven on 365°F (185°C). Use large sheets of aluminum foil to create two domed caps that are large enough to cover each mold with extra 5-inches (13 cm) room at the top, then set aside. Mix all the glaze ingredients except pearl sugar, set aside. When the dough is ready, transfer them onto a large baking sheet. Brush the surface with egg wash, then sprinkle pearl sugar on top. To maximize oven spring, use a scissor to cut a cross shaped slit on top. Cover each mold with the aluminum domed cap.
8. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, then remove the aluminum caps, and bake for another 15 minutes until golden browned on top. Remove from the oven and immediately hang each mold upside down and leave it overnight.
9. Serve the next day, or wrap tightly and keep at room temperature for 3 days.