The Panettone Files
What makes a great panettone, where to buy, and who ships to the U.S.
I wish I could remember my first ever bite of panettone. I’d love to tell you a quirky story about a revelatory madeleine-de-Proust moment, but that simply isn’t the case. Panettone just snuck its way into my life, unwittingly on my behalf. The first ones I tasted were obviously forgettable, as the mass-market versions usually are, so they barely register. But slowly, year after year, as I tasted different, better artisanal panettoni made with skill, patience, and impeccable ingredients, my appreciation deepened into what is now a full-blown obsession.
What’s the deal with panettone?
At its best, panettone is pillowy, airy, with a moist crumb and rich flavor. At its worst (a.k.a. the grocery store versions), it is dry, crumbly, flavorless and just plain sad. Once you taste a truly great one, you understand why Milanese families guard their favorite bakeries with near-religious devotion.
While often dubbed a “Christmas cake,” panettone is actually more of a sweet sourdough bread. Similar to a brioche, it’s made with eggs and butter, which give it a signature yellow hue and studded with dried fruits like raisins and candied orange peel. Nowadays, you’ll find all sorts of flavors on the market, like apricot, chocolate, pistachio, limoncello, etc. But I tend to snub anything other than the classic version.
Traditional Milanese panettone uses only “lievito madre” (sourdough starter), and not commercial yeast, which gives it a more complex, slightly tangy flavor, a moist, fluffy crumb, and longer shelf life.
Making panettone the traditional way is not an easy task, and takes a total of 3 to 6 days to prepare, between rising, resting, shaping, baking and cooling. Since the dough is very rich but also very airy, it tends to collapse and deflate as soon as it cools. For this reason, traditional panettone is skewered on a special rack right when it comes out of the oven, and immediately hung upside down for 8 to 12 hours to cool and rest.
People around the world have enjoyed sweet breads made with leavened dough and honey since the 1st century, but “modern” panettone is said to have originated in Milan in the 15th century. The pastry became associated with feast days and holiday splurging, precisely because it involved ingredients that were hard to come by.
In Milan, it is traditional to save one slice of your Christmas panettone until February 3rd in honor of San Biagio, protector of respiratory health, to ward off sore throats for the year to come. Good luck with that, I have never once had a leftover slice.
Where to buy panettone in Milan
Admittedly, I have never so much as attempted to make panettone at home, as it has a reputation of breaking the spirit of even the most seasoned bakers. Instead, like most Milanesi, I buy my panettone at my favorite local bakery and bring it with me wherever I’m celebrating Christmas. There are so many wonderful panettoni to discover in Milan, I couldn’t possibly list them all here (that’s a post for another day). However, after many years (and many panettoni), I consistently return to Pasticceria Marchesi’s beautifully wrapped, traditional panettone as my top choice.
Pasticceria Marchesi, founded in Milan in 1824 by the Marchesi family, is one of the city’s oldest pastry shops, known for its exquisite handmade sweets and, above all, its artisanal panettone. It is everything a panettone should be: elegant, fragrant, impossibly soft, and perfectly rich. And the packaging is impeccable. Unfortunately, they don’t ship outside the European Union, but a visit to one of their over-the-top, Wes Anderson–like pastry shops is worth the trip on its own.
Where to order panettone from anywhere
In case you can’t make it to Milan in time to take home one of the city’s famous panettoni, I have a great alternative for you. One of my other all-time favorite panettoni is available for delivery in the US. Olivieri 1882 is a multi-generational family business out of Veneto. They make a superior panettone using their 140 year-old starter. I have had the pleasure of meeting Nicola Olivieri, 5th generation master baker of his family’s business, several times, and I have been consistently impressed by his passion and unwavering commitment to quality. And I’m not the only one. Olivieri’s panettone has just been named “The Best Panettone,” by the New York Times, a highly-coveted and much deserved title.
If you can’t get to Milan, Olivieri 1882 is the one I recommend without hesitation.
You can order directly from their website and use promo codes WCBEST and WCFREESHIP for a significant discount.