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| Type | Yeast cake[1] |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Milan,Lombardy |
| Main ingredients | Flour,candied fruits,raisins |
Panettone[a] is anItaliansweet bread andfruitcake that is associated with the city ofMilan. It is usually prepared forChristmas andNew Year inWestern,Southern, andSoutheastern Europe, as well as inSouth America,Eritrea,[6]Australia, and North America.[7] Panettone is tall, with the appearance and texture of bread.[8] Despite such an appearance, panettone is understood in Italy to be a dessert; one that would be out of place in a bread bakery.[9]
In Italy, historical accounts of panettone invariably state that it originated in Milan. The origin of the word is to be found in theMilanese dialectpanattón, augmentative of pan ('bread'), orpanett ('small bread containing a large amount of yeast'). The augmentative suffix -one changes the meaning to 'large bread'.[10] Food historian Francine Segan describes the cake as "probably" created in the 15th century.[11] Despite panettone from Milan being the most popular variety across Italy, Italian authorAda Boni reported in her 1969Italian Regional Cooking that claims of creation exist across northern Italy—in Venice and Turin with their panettone, and in Genoa with itsGenoa cake, known in Italy aspandolce.[12]
Popular tales abound describing panettone's creation. In the most famous, taking place in the 15th century, a wealthy Milanese noble sought to marry the daughter of Tony, a poor baker. To ingratiate himself, the noble furnished the girl's father with the ability to source the best quality flour, eggs, raisins, candied citrus, and sugar, leading to the development of a rich bread to great commercial success. This new food was namedpan di Tonio, and the noble was given the hand of the baker's daughter in marriage.[13]
In another telling, the roles are reversed, with a baker named Tony hoping to marry the daughter of a rich noble. Creating and serving panettone in an effort to impress, Tony was rewarded with the noble's approval and his own bakery.[14] Food scholar Cathy Kaufman identifies the popularity of this account in its proximity to analogies within Christian thought, which analogise romantic love and the love of Jesus Christ at Christmas. Another reason Kaufman supplies is the popularity of weddings during the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany in pre-industrial Europe, after the slaughter replenished food stocks.[15]
Panettone may be mentioned in a recipe book written by ItalianBartolomeo Scappi, a personal chef topopes andemperors during the early 16th century in the reign ofCharles V. The oldest and most certain attestation of the panettone is found in a register of expenses of theBorromeo college ofPavia, Lombardy, in 1599: on 23 December of that year in the list of courses provided for Christmas lunch, costs also appear for 5 pounds of butter, 2 pounds of raisins and 3 ounces of spices given to the baker to make 13 "loaves" to be given to college students on Christmas Day.[16] The first recorded association of panettone with Christmas can be found in the Italian writings of the 18th centuryEnlightenment thinkerPietro Verri. He refers to it aspan de ton ('luxury bread').[17]
The first printed recipe for panettone appears in the third edition of 1853'sNuovo cuoco economico milanese by Giovanni Felice Luraschi (pasta per far panatoni).[18] Panettone around this time was unaffordable to much of the Milanese. One such purchase of a small panettone and 200 grams of sugared almonds from a pastry shop is recorded in 1874, costing 2.35 lira (approximately€9 in 2020).[19]
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In the early 20th century, two Milanese bakers began to produce panettone in large quantities for the rest of Italy. In 1919,Angelo Motta started producing his eponymous brand of cakes. It was also Motta who gave the panettone its tall domed shape and light texture by letting the dough rise three times over almost 20 hours before cooking. The recipe was adapted shortly after by another baker,Gioacchino Alemagna, around 1925, who gave his name to a brand that still exists today.[citation needed] The stiff competition between the two that then ensued led to industrial production of the cake.[20]
During the 1970s, panettone entered the cuisine of southern Italy at a time when a singular, national Italian cuisine emerged. Advertisements on television promoted panettone in the new markets, arguing its industrial production ensured hygiene and quality.[21]
Nestlé took over the Motta and Alemagna brands in the late 1990s, butBauli,[22] an Italian bakery company based inVerona, has since acquired Motta and Alemagna from Nestlé.[20][23] Although panettone remained associated with holidays, by this point it was eaten throughout the year in Italy.[13][24] By the 2010s, panettone produced by artisans or flavored with local ingredients held in higher regard in southern Italy over those produced industrially. One such variation in Campania was a panettone flavored withlimoncello.[21]
Following immigration to South America in the late 19th century, panettone has been a staple at Christmas dinners in Peru.[25] Bauli got its start in Argentina, with an Italian immigration.[23] In these countries, panettone takes on different names; in Peru,panetón, and in Argentina,pan dulce.[26] By the end of the 2010s, Peru had passed Italy in panettone consumption, with one survey finding the average Peruvian ate an 2.4 lb (1.1 kg) of panettone per year.[27]
In North America in the 21st century, some bakeries and cookbooks moved to a panettone made from wild yeast rather than commercial yeast, following a major bakery in Italy that had gained commercial success with wild yeasts.[14] In the UK, panettone is sometimes used to makebread and butter pudding.[28]
As of 2007, efforts were underway to obtainprotected designation of origin (PDO) anddenominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status for panettone.[29]
Panettone is made from a flour milled from hard wheat.[30]Raisins and pieces of candied orange and citron are distributed throughout,[13] sometimes substituted or supplemented with almonds, chocolate, and other dried fruits such as apricots and apples. Sometimes, liquors and alcohol-based citrus or almond extracts are added for further flavour.[31][32][24] Yeast may be commercial or wild, the latter producing a panettone with a longer shelf life.[32] Panettone prepared from a commercial yeast, typicallyKazachstania exigua, contains severallactic acid bacteria.[33][b]
The basic dough for panettone is very close to several other European holiday breads, including the Germanstollen, the Greektsoureki andchristopsomo, and the Italiancolomba pasquale andpandoro – distinctions arise from their symbolism, shaping, and history.[35][36][37] Panettone has high levels of fat and requires intensive mixing.[38]
Panettone is shaped on a surface that is sometimes buttered and then baked in a tall, cylindrical mold. Atypically for a sweetened dough containing yeast, panettone is not steamed during cooking.[31][39] Baking paper designed specially for panettone is sold commercially.[32] After baking, panettone is hung upside down as it cools, preventing the bubbles in the dough from collapsing. In a commercial bakery, this may be done with special equipment, and in smaller batches they may be hung between tables, suspended with wooden skewers.[32]
Panettone has acupola shape, which extends from acylindrical base and is usually about 12–15 centimetres (4+1⁄2–6 inches) high for a panettone weighing one kilogram (two pounds). Other bases may be used, such as anoctagon, or afrustum with a star section shape more common topandoro. It is made during a long process that involves curing the dough, which is acidic, similar tosourdough. Theproofing process alone takes several days, giving the cake its distinctive fluffy characteristics. Variations include plain or with chocolate.
It is served in wedge shapes, vertically cut, accompanied with sweet hot beverages or a sweetwine, such asAsti orMoscato d'Asti. In some regions of Italy, it is served withcrema al mascarpone, a cream made by combining eggs,mascarpone, and a sweet liqueur.
Panettone is cooked in a range of sizes, from individually portioned cakes to large cakes that are cut at service.[40] Among the Milanese, panettone is eaten with various courses, including breakfast, afternoon tea, and dinner. Alongside, the Italian dessert wineVin Santo or a sweet white wine are often drunk.[24] Panettone is sometimes served in its baking paper, which often features decorative designs.[32]
Most panettone eaten in Italy is sourced from industrial producers, shrink-wrapped and distributed in cardboard boxes.[41] As of 2007, Italian food manufacturing companies and bakeries produced 117 million panettone andpandoro cakes eachChristmas, collectively worth €579 million.[42] As of 2011,Bauli dominated the panettone market after its acquisition of its two largest competitors two years prior.[23]
Prices for panettone varied starkly by source. In 2011, a panettone purchased from an Italian supermarket could cost less than€10 (US$13.92), compared to the few produced by artisans which often could cost€50. Outside of supermarkets, industrially-produced panettone are sold in some bakeries.[43]
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