Panettone: the king of Italian Christmas tables

December is the month of Panettone, the king of Italian Christmas tables. One of the most loved, both in Italy and abroad.

Panettone is a seasonal cake, a symbol of Italian Christmas holidays. Its origin seems to be shrouded in legend and it seems to have been born due to an oversight. Let’s find out more about Panettone, the king of  Christmas!

The lucky oversight that gave birth to Panettone

We are at the court of Ludovico il Moro, in Milan, around the end of the 1400s. It’s Christmas Eve and the kitchen is in turmoil. The head chef makes the mistake of asking his scullery boy, named Toni, to check on the cooking of the Christmas cake in the oven. However, Toni ends up falling asleep and the cake burns. This oversight would have cost him dearly! Then Toni remembers that he had recently prepared a block of sourdough, mixed with eggs, sugar and butter with which to make bread for his whole family. But, before offering it to the head chef, he decides to also add raisins and candied fruit. The cake is so good that the head chef decides to serve it to Ludovico il Moro and his guests. They are enraptured. El Pan de Toni ( Tony’s bread) will therefore spread over the years throughout Italy with the name of Panettone.

 

The true origin of Panettone

Leaving aside the legend, the true origin of Panettone must be sought in the widespread request in the Middle Ages to celebrate Christmas with a richer bread than the everyday one. A late fifteenth-century manuscript attests to the ducal custom of celebrating the so-called rite of the log. On the evening of December 24, all the families use to place a large log of wood in the fireplace and eat a slice of wheat bread, keeping one for the following year, as a good omen. Wheat was a highly prized raw ingredient for the time. Therefore, especially for the poor, it had a special value. In fact, only on Christmas Day was anyone allowed to eat the same bread. This one was enriched with sugar, butter and eggs. The name of this special bread was Pan de Ton, the bread of the lords.

 

Panettone over the years

As the years go by, this special enriched holiday bread, known as Christmas Bread, becomes more and more famous. In 1606 we find the first official definition of Panettone, that is, a large bread prepared at Christmas. Starting from the mid-1800s, brewer’s yeast and candied fruit make their entrance. In fact, until then, panettone was a low cake, very similar to focaccia. It was in Milan in the 1920s that Angelo Motta invented the definitive recipe for Panettone. Motta decides to add butter to the recipe, to replace the brewer’s yeast with sourdough and to wrap the cake in straw paper. Thus the shape becomes rounded and the dough very soft. Motta’s study allowed the beginning of the industrial production of panettone, which continues to be the Christmas cake par excellence even today.

The best artisanal Panettone in Rome

Soft, intense yellow in color, fragrant, with a balanced flavor. Panettone is the king of Italian Christmas tables, precisely because it is perfect. But do you want to know where to eat a perfect artisanal Panettone in Rome? Below is our list of the Top 4!

– Antico Forno Roscioli (Via dei Chiavari, 34) Historic bakery in Rome, appreciated by locals and tourists, offers a wide selection of Panettone. Obviously, the classic reigns supreme. But you can try other delicious flavors such as pears and chocolate, apricots and caramel, black cherry and white chocolate.

– Pasticceria Grué (Viale Regina Margherita, 95) Top-quality ingredients for this very famous pastry shop. The most popular is the Gianduioso di Grué made with 62% Ecuador chocolate, IGP hazelnuts from Piedmont and 60% Ivory Coast dark chocolate drops.

– Nero Vaniglia (Circonvallazione Ostiense, 201) Small Roman pastry shop overflowing with top-quality goodness. Among the sweet ones there are the classic, pears and chocolate and marron glacé. But there is also a savory version with pears and pecorino romano.

– Innocenti (Via della Luce, 21) Very small artisanal biscuit factory in the heart of Trastevere active since 1940. A place full of sweetness and tradition. In addition to the famous puff pastry pizzas and tarts with sour cherry jam, in December they start producing their artisanal panettoni which are absolutely worth trying.

So, what you are waiting for? Book one of our tours and join us through the tastier Roman journey!