Panettone, its history and our good addresses

Do you know the story of Tarte Tatin? It's a bit like that... The first traces of it can be found in the 13th century in the countryside around Milan. At the time, it was known as pandolce, a kind of sponge cake stuffed with raisins. In the 15th century, the story goes that a boy named Toni burnt his cake at Christmas dinner. Obliged to bring out a dessert, he chose a cake made the day before by one of the clerks. A simple recipe based on candied fruit and raisins, pan di Toni, the future panettone. Its artisanal production spread throughout Italy in the 19th century.

Nowadays, panettone is eaten exclusively at Christmas time, and requires special know-how, particularly when it comes to sourdough.Refreshed three times in ten hours at room temperature, we try to develop as many ferments as possible, which must tend towards sweetness," points out Gauthier Denis, head baker who teaches at the Lenôtre school. This allows the panettone to develop its unique aromas, its stringy texture and, above all, its long shelf life, up to over a month."

"Since 2003, Milanese pastry chefs have been drawing up precise specifications for panettone ingredients and production processes. These elements have been included in a ministerial decree that formalizes the rules of production." we learn in the Culture bouffe podcast from Business of Bouffe

Its heavy dough, rich in butter and egg yolks, takes 72 hours to prepare, with alternating gentle kneading and rest periods. Before baking, the panettone is incised in the shape of a cross (originally a religious symbol) with a knob of butter. It is sometimes covered with macaronade. After baking for 1 hour at 93°C, the cakes are cooled upside down to prevent the crumb from falling like a soufflé.

To whet your appetite, here are a few competition panettones!

Christophe Louie, in Paris

Based in Paris for four years, Christophe Louie has made a name for himself with his exceptional panettones. "One of the benefits of sourdough fermentation is that it fixes the aromas."With its crumbly texture and gourmet flavors, panettone has to be earned! Let yourself be tempted by the limited edition Sicilian orange blossom-mandarin, enriched with dried figs and marzipan for softness. Not to be missed.

• 12 Rue Dupetit-Thouars, 75003 Paris
• www.chri stophelouie.com

Salomé Rateau

Fabrice Richard, in Concarneau

In winter, the artisan baker enriches his shop window with panettones. "I fell in love with this dough and its complexity. This cake requires very rigorous work, especially for fermentation. Whereasa brioche is made with yeast and keeps for two or three days, panettone is 100% sourdough and has a much longer natural shelf life."Let's go and discover the cranberry, vanilla, caramelized hazelnut and white chocolate chip version, whose cocoa butter enriches the dough.

• 20, rue Lucien-Vidie, 29900 Concarneau
• Fabrice Richard's Instagram page

Thomas Subrin, in Monaco

Meilleur ouvrier de France in bakery, Thomas Subrin was seduced by panettone."It's one of the most complex products to make in bakery. The dough rises from leaven rather than yeast. It takes a lot of trial and error to get the hang of it."Every year in December, the MOF offers, in addition to the classic "Milano" - raisins, citron, orange, candied lemon - an ultra-gourmand pistachio-griotte version. A must!

• LBP Monaco, 3, rue du Gabian, 98000 Monaco
• Instagram page of @thomassubrin

@Guillaume Jahan de Lestang, Martin Messmer

Gaël Jacob, in Lescheraines (Savoie)

Artisan chocolatier Gaël Jacob offers a seasonal panettone every month. "This year, I'm hydrating my sourdough in a slightly different way. In the first dough, I introduce the basic ingredients, and the next day, the candied fruit. Finally, for the last batch, I keep an eye on the dough so as to put it in the oven at just the right moment. It takes 6 hours, sometimes more!"This winter's novelty is the 100% chocolate version, with a pastry enriched with ganache and garnished with gianduja cubes.

• Chocolaterie Jacob, 3042 D911, 73340 Lescheraines
• www.choc olateriejacob.com

Roberto Rinaldini, Rimini (Italy)

It's impossible to ignore Italian panettones made by masters of the art, especially now that they're available in France. For Roberto Rinaldini, world pastry champion, it takes 65 hours of work from setting the leaven to baking. From the classic version with Bourbon vanilla, raisins and Sicilian oranges, to the "Dante", enriched with pistachio cream, wild strawberries and semi-confit cherries. And let's not forget the latest, the "PanVita" - oranges, elderflowers, pistachios and orange peel, confit with a Marsala sabayon sauce - created in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Enrico Bartolini. Stupende!

• Rinaldini Pâtisserie SpA Via Ausa 34/36 47853 Cerasolo di Coriano
• www.rina ldinipastry.com

Luigi Biasetto, Padua (Italy)

Voted best pastry chef in the world in 1997, Luigi Biasetto also won a medal for his classic panettone, crowned Italy's best panettone in 2018 and 2021. Its crumb is airy and supple, with a beautiful bright yellow color. It's made with sourdough, fresh milk, Tuscan honey, soft oranges and raisins, then glazed with almond amaretto, a must-try recipe. This year, the chef is even launching a savory version with pesto and tomato confit.

• Via Jacopo Facciolati, 12, 35126 Padova PD, Italy
• www.ciao-gusto.com

From France to Italy, you now have your pick of good places to try this cake, which makes the holidays even more gourmet. Buona degustazione!