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The Best Panettone Recipe

I've never had a good panettone. During my tenure as a food editor at Food & Wine, we were sent a lot of panettone around the holidays every year. I'd be super-psyched to find a large package waiting at my desk, only to feel a total sense of deflation upon seeing it was a panettone. Then I'd set the loaf out on the giveaway table, where it would sit along with a few other unwanted loaves. Clearly I'm not the only naysayer. Let's face it: panettone is the ultimate regift.

I've only recently learned that the reason I dislike panettone is because I've only had mass-marketed ones—dry loaves studded with cloying bits of strangely colored fruit and stale nuts. The real McCoy is entirely different.

Did you know that panettone should melt in your mouth? Neither did I. It should be buttery and rich, but with a light, fluffy texture—kind of the perfect blend of brioche and cotton candy. The top should be auburn and caramelized, and it should be studded with bits of your favorite chocolate or nuts or dried fruit—whatever you like.

Greg Wade, the head baker at Chicago's Publican Quality Meats, is the man I have to thank for opening my eyes, but he credits his passion to Philadelphia's Marc Vetri, who sent his own delicious panettone to Wade every year, inspiring Wade to try his hand at the notoriously difficult bread. But even a highly trained and experienced baker like Wade struggled to get it right — so much so that it took an impromptu visit from another chef, the renowned Italian pizzaiolo Gabriele Bonci, to tell Wade he was doing it all wrong. After the two men went through multiple tries and tweaks, Wade got it right. Now, he gifts and sells the loaves every Christmas, making every single one himself.

So what is it about panettone that's so hard? Wade explained that it's such a rich dough, made mostly from butter and egg yolks, that you need a very strong and dry starter to support the weight of the ingredients. At the bakery, Wade uses a special sourdough starter that he feeds all year long just to make his holiday panettone. Unlike a standard sourdough starter, which is equal parts flour and water, this starter is two parts flour and one part water. From there, making the bread is a fine balance of technique and timing.

I asked Wade why he couldn't just use a strong commercial yeast to make the panettone. He explained this: "Commercial yeast has less depth of flavor than a starter. It will make a loaf that's texturally similar, but it just won't have the same depth of flavor. As a baker, I don't go for ease, I go for a special unique product."

For the home baker, who doesn't likely have this unique starter sitting in the kitchen year-round, Wade created a recipe for a biga (a.K.A. Poolish, aka pre-fermentation) made with bread flour, warm water and active dry yeast. This takes a few hours to come together, but it is well worth the time. When the biga gets added to the initial dough, it will be firm and strong enough to add the lift that will ultimately make your panettone into that fluffy goodness.

Part of my distaste for panettone has to do with the inclusions—those chewy little bits of weird fruit especially. I asked Wade about the inclusions. The standard ones are candied orange peel, rum-soaked raisins, hazelnuts, chocolate chips and pearl sugar. But you can really add whatever you want. For me, I'd drop the orange peel and raisins and go all chocolate and nut.

You will need a panettone mold, and Wade suggests getting one on Amazon from Novacart. Once you've made the panettone and cooled it fully, wrap it nicely in cellophane and a bow, making sure to do your best to not expose it to air. Wade says it should keep for a week, but he says once you taste it, it won't last a day. Now that I've had the perfect panettone, I know that he's right. I won't be regifting this baby.

Creative Ways To Use Up Panettone (and How To Make Your Own)

— Find more Christmas cooking inspiration with the Festive Feasts collection at SBS On Demand — Panettone, the iconic Italian sweet bread, has become synonymous with Christmas cheer and festive gatherings, not just in its native Italy but worldwide. Known for its tall, dome-shaped form and light, airy texture, this dessert is studded with candied fruit and raisins, reflecting its origins as a luxurious treat for Renaissance nobility in Milan. Steeped in legend and tradition, the name "panettone" likely derives from "pane di tono," meaning "luxury bread," due to its premium ingredients like butter, eggs, and dried fruits, which were once rare and expensive. One legend claims it was invented by a Milanese cook named Toni during a Christmas banquet when a dessert mishap inspired him to combine leftover ingredients, creating "Pane di Toni," later evolving into "panettone." Another romantic tale suggests a young aristocrat invented the bread to win the heart of a baker's daughter. Although resembling bread, panettone is classified as a "cake" in Italy due to its sweet, rich dough and celebratory nature. While traditional panettone features candied fruits and citrus peel, modern versions include chocolate, pistachio, or even savoury twists. Its iconic dome shape is crafted with special molds and multiple rising periods, giving it its characteristic lightness. In Italy, strict regulations govern what can officially be called "panettone," ensuring its high quality. Wondering how do you eat a panettone? It is enjoyed as a dessert or breakfast, often paired with sweet wine, prosecco, or coffee. Some enjoy it plain, while others toast slices to serve with mascarpone, cream, or Nutella. Repurposing leftover panettone is an art form — it can transforms into bread puddings, trifles, French toast, and even croutons. Its versatility, both freshly baked and reused, has cemented panettone's status as a festive favourite.

Here's your ultimate guide to this festive treat, from how to make panettone, to how to serve and enjoy it.

Panettone recipes

A labour of love, panettone is made like a bread rather than cake – kneaded and left to rise several times to develop its signature airy, honeycomb-like interior. The result is an impressive festive centrepiece.

This aromatic twist on the classic panettone switches out raisins for sweet dried apricots, and adds pistachios for a nutty crunch.

These adorable mini panettoni are the perfect individual servings and make excellent gifts, capturing all the flavour of the original in a compact, charming size.

Mini panettone Credit: Smith Street Books

Although not an actual panetonne, this gelato is infused with rich ingredients reminiscent of the iconic dessert, like orange, saffron, vanilla, honey and mixed with raisins.

How do I serve leftover panettone?

A staple during Christmastime, it is possible to have too much of a good thing, and one is often stuck with plenty of leftovers. Here are some creative ideas for repurposing panettone.

Grilling panettone adds a smoky dimension to the sweetness, complemented by juicy nectarines and tangy crème fraîche. A simple yet elegant dessert that's perfect to whip up when your summer barbeque is firing.

Charred nectarine and panettone Credit: Benito Martin

This quick dish offers a refreshing take on tradition for warmer weather. Simply remove the centre of the panettone and replace it with an ice-cream flavour – or flavours – of your choice, then refreeze before serving.

Credit: Danielle Abou Karam

For this creative repurposing, slices of panettone are fitted into the bottom of a terrine mould, then topped with a semifreddo mixture and another layer of leftover panettone before being frozen to serve.

Aside from ice cream and gelato, another option for filling leftover loaves of panettone is with a fragrant ricotta mixture. This one combines ricotta with flaked almonds, chocolate, cocoa powder, candied fruit and Vin Santo.

Zuccotto, meaning "little pumpkin" in Italian, is a semi-frozen, chilled Italian dessert that gets its name from its cute pumpkin shape. Leftover panettone is the perfect shape for crafting this dessert. This version features layers of ricotta and a spiced chocolate cream.

Ricotta zuccotto Credit: Cook like an Italian

Switch out regular bread for leftover panettone to make an impressive take on traditional bread and butter pudding. Rich, perfumed and custardy, it's the perfect comfort dessert for festive gatherings.

Toast leftover panettone and serve it with a coffee-infused zabaglione, a decadent Italian custard. The creamy, bold custard and sweet fruity croutons work in perfect contrast.

Credit: Bonacini's Italian Christmas Special

More Christmas sweet treats

Make Christmas dessert while you sleep

At Christmas, it's your duty to enjoy these cakes

Vasilopita (Greek New Year's cake)

Spiced orange cake with Christmas pudding ice cream

All the recipes you need for planning Festive Feasts

Boozy Christmas popsicles

23 Christmas cakes to tempt any fruitcake hater

Giada De Laurentiis Just Dropped The Most Decadent Double Chocolate Panettone — Order One Before They Sell Out

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Holiday traditions are sacred in many families. Whether you enjoy baking Christmas cookies, are looking forward to playing dreidel with the cousins, or just enjoy seeing the shimmering lights everywhere, these go-tos are what make this season so magical. And while we would never suggest skipping a holiday tradition (unless you want to), what if you added a new favorite tradition to the lineup this year? Giada De Laurentiis suggests you start an Italian family tradition by enjoying a delicious Italian panettone this year.

The Italian chef is selling a decadent double chocolate panettone on her Giadzy website for $73 (and $67 for members), which ships nationwide. This is a chocolate-lovers version of the beloved sweet Christmas treat. Instead of the usual dried and candied fruit topping, though, this panettone is made with milk and dark chocolate — um, yes please!

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This delicious cake-like dessert is made in Italy by top artisan bakery Olivieri, who makes theirs with four times more eggs than a typical recipe for an "ultra-rich and luxurious" taste and a "moist, tender crumb." As if the Italian panettone is not gift enough, it comes in a custom-designed box that features a kaleidoscope of beautiful colors. This is so pretty that you'll want to keep it!

For best results, store the panettone in an airtight container and warm it up in the oven before serving. The rich dish can make a fun coffee-and-chocolate snack by the slice, or serve as an extra-decadent French Toast bread on Christmas morning. The latter is how one happy customer used it, saying in a review, "Although this is absolutely delicious on its own, it makes the best French toast. So soft inside, crispy edges and delectable! Love this panettone!"

Someone else recommended eating it "in a very traditional way" like they've been doing: "with cappuccino in the morning for breakfast!" Others had one complaint: that this panettone is only available for a limited time. "Wish this was available year round its so good!"

Order one of De Laurentiis' double chocolate panettone before they inevitability sell out. It might just become your new favorite holiday tradition!

Giadzy Double Chocolate Panettone

How gorgeous is this double chocolate panettone in a custom-designed box? Buy one for yourself and another for a hard-to-shop for person on your list.

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