2 hours Ago By Phoebe Cornish
Panettone is a staple festive dessert featured on almost every supermarket Christmas display. It's a sweet delight loved for its soft, pillowy dough and enticing treats scattered throughout the tall loaf structure. However, according to Italian baker Rocco Tanzarella, not all panettones are created equal.
In fact, very few supermarket offerings are authentic. Part of the team of Italian artisans, gelato legends, and panettone specialists at Gelatorino , head baker Rocco has unveiled the lesser-known secrets of true panettone. True to Gelatorino’s philosophy, all ingredients used in their festive lineup are 100 percent natural and sourced from Italy, and the panettone is prepared using time-honoured techniques and the traditional Italian recipe .
Rocco said: “I’ve been making Panettone for over a decade, here are six things that might surprise you about this seasonal Italian dish.” What is panettone? Panettone is a sweet, dome-shaped Italian cake traditionally baked in round pans. It is made from a cured dough studded with candied fruit.
Once cooked, the dough is proven over several days and hung upside down to maintain its distinctive fluffy texture. Though marketed as panettone, some shop-bought products may not be true to their Italian origins. Rocco revealed: "A ministerial decree dated July 22, 2005, established the specific ingredients and characteristics of the panettone.
"The classic Milanese must be soft and obtained by natural fermentation from sourdough. Many Italian cakes claiming to be panettone don’t fully adhere to the rules so check the small print by the ingredients list – if it’s called an ‘Italian cake’ you’ll now know that it’s not a genuine panettone as the Italians intended." Where did panettone come from? There are many stories about panettone's origins, but Rocco claims that "the one we like best is about a baker called Toni".
The story goes that Toni was a kitchen assistant to Ludovico il Moro, the lord of Milan, in the late 15th century. Rocco explained: "On Christmas Eve, the chef accidentally burned the cake for the holiday feast. Toni used his sourdough starter to knead a new cake with flour, eggs, sugar, raisins, and candied fruit.
The Duke was so pleased with the result that he renamed it "pan di Toni" in honour of its creator." This Italian delight is a labour of love that takes about two days to be made by hand, including 12 hours of proving the worked dough and about 12 hours hanging upside down on racks to maintain its light and airy texture. Panettone is cooled and dried as it is handed upside down before being packaged and ready for consumption.
How to eat panettone Rocco said the ‘Italian way’ to eat this delicious sweet bread correctly is to “cut out a wedge and rip it apart by hand alongside a good espresso.” He noted: “Adding a pistachio or gianduja spread is also very popular. We stuff ours with gelato because we are obsessed with it, but the purists might not appreciate it!” Those lucky enough to source a proper panettone can try the Gelatorino baker’s top tip to improve the taste.
“Place it in its wrapper next to a warm radiator for five minutes before serving to warm up the buttery goodness inside and awaken the rich flavour”, said Roco. He warned: “But do not turn your panettone into a bread and butter pudding, or you will be reported for crimes against panettone!”.
