Assemble all your ingredients, got it all? Good!

Use a large mixing bowl and combine the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Whisk together.

In a different, microwave-safe bowl, melt 4 tbsp of butter then add the milk, boiling water, and vanilla. Whisk together.

Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients bowl and fold together with a spatula until mixed. Make sure to mix until everything is incorporated and it becomes a sticky ball of dough.

Cover the bowl and dough with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm spot for about 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled.

Preheat the oven to 375F and make sure the oven rack is in the middle. Prep a panettone mold by generously greasing it with soft butter.

Chop the chocolate into small pieces, no bigger than ½ inch chunks.

Remove the plastic wrap from the dough and add the chocolate chunks.

Using your hands or two forks or spatulas, fold opposite sides of the dough in towards the middle. The dough will deflate, but that’s okay!

Rotate the bowl and continue this movement until the chocolate is incorporated. I don’t recommend kneading the dough on your counter for this step, because it is supposed to be a sticky dough.

Transfer the dough into the previously prepared panettone mold and leave it to rise again. Do not cover it this time, but do put it in a warm spot. Let it rise for 25 minutes, or until it has doubled.

Place the mold on a baking tray (to prevent spillage) and put it in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes. The top should have evenly browned when it’s done.

Remove from the oven and use oven mitts to move the mold onto a cooling rack.

Melt 1 tbsp of butter and brush it across the top of the bread using a pastry brush.

Allow the panettone to cool for about an hour before removing the mold and cutting into it.