The legend of panettone, Italy’s mythical Christmas cake
It began in Milan, but bakers across Italy keep the centuries-old tradition alive.
Panettone
Nothing says Natale (Christmas in Italian) like panettone, a seasonal dessert that some (mistakenly) think the Italian relative of fruitcake. But that is not the case. In Italy, panettone is a symbol of tradition, identity, and delicacy. Everyone looks forward to the panettone, which is beautifully packed and presented as gifts.
By November, the lovely baked dome of sweet, soft, and aromatized bread, originally from Milan, has made its way out of the ovens. A truly outstanding artisanal panettone will offer you bragging rights during the festivities. You've never experienced a true panettone if you're turning your nose up because you think it's just a dry, packaged cake.
The legend of the cake
The origins of panettone are a blend of stories and fact. The ancient Romans ate "panem triticum," wheat bread sweetened with egg and raisins. In the Middle Ages, the Milanese celebrated Christmas with three large loaves of wheat bread, which became official in 1395 when all bakeries made "pan de' sciuri or pan del ton", bread for the Lords or Toni’s bread, a sweetened white wheat loaf, available to all people on Christmas.
But the legend of Toni, a kitchen boy at the court of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, is much sweeter. Toni unintentionally burnt the duke's Christmas Eve desserts, so he makes up by combining leftover dough with sugar, egg, candied fruits, and raisins and baking a large loaf. El pan de Toni becomes a court favorite and the official Christmas dessert after Ludovico falls in love with it.
I'm wondering if Leonardo da Vinci also enjoyed "pan del ton" while painting the "Last Supper" (click here) in Milano for Ludovico Sforza. (click here)
The baking process
Bakers spend years honing their recipes all throughout Milan and Italy. Thousands of items are sold from the end of September until Christmas Eve throughout the "season." Stacks of attractively packed panettone can be seen in bakeries, delis, and supermarkets. The quality of ingredients, traditions, and creativity are what distinguishes the good from the processed, and the great from the good.
Panettone begins with the lievito madre (starting culture), which is combined with egg, flour, and butter to form a dough that is then nourished and worked on for at least three days. What happens next is determined by where you are from. The traditional Milanese panettone incorporates candied fruits and raisins before being cooked with a cross carved into the top. To keep the dome intact, it is hung upside down for five to ten hours after it comes out of the oven.
Head south, and the method is similar, except the panettone is glazed with sugar or something sweet. Over the years, bakers have experimented with new flavors such as pear and chocolate, gianduja (a sweet chocolate spread), and peach and amaretto.
A suggestion for the leftovers.
In Milano, if you have any leftovers, we make Torta Meneghina. Warm up leftover panettone slices on the griddle, toast both sides well, and drizzle with Grand Marnier. Alternatively, simply heat up a slice and coat it with a spalmabile, which is anything spreadable like mascarpone, Nutella, jam, or anything you wish for.
Enjoy!
Arrivederci
Mic & Simo
