It takes 20 years to make an overnight success.

Overnight Starter Panettone

Starter

    3/4 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
    1/16 teaspoon (just a pinch) instant yeast
    1/3 cup cool water

Dough

    all of the starter (above)
    2 1/4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
    1/4 cup lukewarm water
    2 large eggs
    1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) softened butter
    1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia flavoring OR 1 teaspoon vanilla + 1/8 teaspoon orange oil
    2 1/4 teaspoons SAF Gold instant yeast OR 1 tablespoon instant yeast
    1 1/4 teaspoons salt
    1/3 cup sugar
    1/2 cup golden raisins
    1/2 cup slivered dried apricots
    1/2 cup dried cranberries
    1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
    2 tablespoons grated orange rind or grated lemon rind (zest)

Instructions

    To make the starter: Combine the starter ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl, cover, and allow them to rest overnight (8 to 12 hours).

    To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients except the fruit, and mix and knead them together — by hand, mixer or bread machine — until you've made a soft, smooth dough.

    Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it's puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk).

    Gently deflate the dough, and knead in the fruits and zest.

    Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a panettone pan or other straight-sided, tall 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan. Cover the pan and let the dough rise until it's just crested over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour.
    Bake the bread in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 minutes; reduce the oven heat to 375°F and bake an additional 10 minutes; then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for 25 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil if the crust appears to be browning too quickly.

    Remove the panettone from the oven and cool completely. Store at room temperature, well-wrapped, for up to a week; freeze for longer storage.