Crisis or no crisis, the Italians don't seem willing to give up panettone on their Christmas table, indeed this year, perhaps more than ever, because they are prevented by the anticovid emergency measures from going to celebrate dinner at home with friends or at a restaurant. Panettone will dominate the tables as a symbol of a family gathering and for this reason it will have greater significance.
On the other hand, Italians are great consumers of panettone. A Nielsen research reveals that 26.000 tons of panettone were consumed last year for a value of 209 million euros because if 60% of Italian families bought at least one Christmas product to celebrate the holidays, 55% preferred the Panettone.
And here a new chapter on choices opens: for some time now, Italians have shown that they prefer artisan panettone in their purchases, because holidays must be celebrated with tradition, but also with quality. The Nielsen research is still valid, which shows that out of 9 and a half million families who have bought panettone, 2,4 million have chosen an artisan product, which translated into numbers makes 9,4 million pieces with a growth of 5,3, 109% of sales for a total of XNUMX million euros.
In short, that of traditional artisan panettone turns out to be a rich market on which many have thrown themselves headlong. Not only the bakeries and pastry shops as per tradition, but also the restaurateurs and even the starred chefs who are present more than ever this year with their panettone at prices that are sometimes not within everyone's reach because…they are greatly affected by the stars.
Prices, in reality, which rise not so much because every self-respecting chef tends to focus on sought-after and expensive raw materials to keep a panettone up to its culinary tradition.
Principle that applies to all the artisanal panettone from ovens and pasta factories that aim to raise the quality of the product compared to the industrial one. For this reason it is difficult for a traditional artisan panettone to drop below 20-25 euros, precisely due to the cost of the raw materials and the particularity of the processing that requires long times and production costs, while it is not difficult for the peaks of the artisan panettone can reach astronomical costs for the most bizarre fantasies as happened years ago when a rich Indian tycoon commissioned the Chef patissier Dario Hartvig of the Pasticceria del Borgo di Carmagnola (Turin), a panettone all covered in gold and decorated with a border of diamonds from the value of 500.000 euros to give to his woman of the heart.
But without reaching those exasperations, it is certain that a panettone signed today can reach 100 or even more (the price can rise due to the particular packaging).
But there's no need to pass out to bring a quality panettone to our tables this year, the choice is wide and can satisfy every palate and need.
First&Food therefore suggests a list that represents the absolute excellence of this year's production, which includes the consolidated classics of great pastry chefs, the Panettone big names made by starred chefs and the panettone that stood out this year by ranking first in the various competitions that were held throughout Italy in view of Christmas.
Oliveri 1882
In the meantime, we can start from certain certainties such as the Panettone by Olivieri 1882, a historic company from Arzignano awarded for years for its unbeatable Colombe (see article First&Food in Stories of Chefs of March 2019), judged this year by Il Gambero Rosso among the best Panettone d'Italia: four days of production, 48 hours of double leavening, made only with live sourdough, soft wheat flour, 16% butter, 16% eggs, 18% candied orange and stuffed with 5 Crown Australian Sultana Raisins , Bourbon vanilla from Tahiti, cane sugar, forbidden preservatives, semi-finished products, flavourings, vegetable fats. A soft and delicate paste which, when tasted, releases a sensation of ancient flavours, impeccable humidity, and very well-balanced aromas
38,00 euro price
Casa del Dolce by Fausto Bertolini
Another great name in the Italian artisan tradition is that of Fausto Bertolini, from the Casa del Dolce in Cologna Veneta (VR) who has been churning out panettone for years that conquered first place in the major Italian competitions. His secret: a long process with a careful choice of ingredients and the search for an all-natural softness without the addition of preservatives which spreads the fragrance of the raw materials when opened. (on Storie di Chef we traced his profile in November of this year). But above all the fussiness of a white art artist who loves to caress the customer with her flavors always giving him new sensations.
38.00 euro price
Pepper Master Confectioner
Alfonso Pepe, the great pastry chef of Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino (Salerno), the first master to have affirmed a panettone of excellence in southern Italy, multiple winner of prizes and competitions passed away prematurely last February. But his legacy, the fruit of a lifetime of research, study and sacrifice, was taken up by his family, by the brothers Prisco and Giuseppe who have worked alongside him over all these years and who today pour into the panettone all the knowledge accumulated alongside the missing master.
Not to be missed, among others, the Citrus Panettone which encloses in itself the scents of the Lattari mountains overlooking the Amalfi-Salerno coast with candied orange peel, tangerines, lemons, natural yeast, lemon paste, orange paste , all made at home and immersed in a cloud of softness.
Price 35,90 euros.
Shoot 1957
For over sixty years the Tiri family has dedicated themselves to the art of leavening in Acerenza in the province of Potenza. Here is the realm of sourdough present in every creation: single portions, biscuits, chocolates, spreadable creams and even in ice cream. Vincenzo Tiri, 39, inherited the legacy of his grandfather Vincenzo and his father Michele and today firmly leads the company which he has brought to a level of absolute excellence: his Panettoni win competitions all the time. The secret lies in the three phases of mixing and 72 hours of processing that his panettones have to go through before leaving his pastry shop packaged. Panettone which today are established not only in Italy but also abroad. At the Artisti del Panettone event held this year, the Chef patissier received the special Hausbrandt award for the "path of absolute excellence accomplished in the sector of leavened products, always in perfect balance between respect for tradition and innovation". For Gambero Rosso and that of Tiri it is "one of those leavened products that is immediately recognized as the work of a great master".
38,00 euro price
Loison
Started in 1938, as a simple artisan confectionary shop, today the company of Dario Loison and his wife is an entrepreneurial reality of national and international level, always remaining however faithful to the artisan tradition, and to the high quality of the products. The choice of fine ingredients, all with controlled origin certification in the top line, remains the cornerstone of Loison production together with the 72 hours of processing: eggs from free-range hens, fresh mountain milk, butter and cream, unrefined sea salt from Cervia, candied oranges from Sicily, Citron from Diamante from Calabria, Late Mandarin from Ciaculli, Fico from Calabria and Chinotto from Savona, up to the more exotic ones such as Sultana Raisins from Turkey, the finest cocoa in the South America, the aromatic and unique Mananara Vanilla from Madagascar. Passionate and forward-looking entrepreneur, Loison was one of the first to focus on the seasonal adjustment of panettone, showing its possible uses in sweet and savory recipes created with the help of famous Italian chefs. and above all to land on the Internet which has opened up a foreign market that has reached 55 nations. If the content is excellent, the packaging must also be adequate to highlight the quality of the product, and this is why the pastry chef from Vicenza has revived the old tradition of the colorful tin sweet boxes of our grandmothers and above all of the hatboxes inspired by the millinery of the ' 900.
Price: 26 euros.00
The Hatboxes from 42,00 euros for the 1 kilo panettone to 278,00 euros for the 10 kg format
Francesco Sorrentino – La Torre pastry shop in Torre del Greco
A small artisan pastry shop in Torre del Greco on the Bourbon golden mile of the Vesuvian villas, which has become an enclave of excellent restaurants and food and wine, has long since started a process of qualitative growth in production, which embraces all the products of the rich Neapolitan tradition , from sfogliatelle to babà, to pastiera, to dry Christmas sweets with roccocò, mostaccioli, susamielli, but also extends to modern creative pastry making, reaching respectable results that have opened up the national market. A second showcase in the center has been added to the original headquarters in Via Nazionale. Francesco Sorrentino who first joined his father Alberto (long experience of haute patisserie on cruise ships) and has now taken over the baton moves along two rigorous guidelines, absolute quality of the raw materials and no less absolute rigor of the workmanship. The latest challenge was to launch into the sector of leavened products and La Torre's Panettone is paradigmatic of the high quality achieved by southern pastry chefs who have in a certain sense taken possession of the Milanese Dolce, coming first in the various competitions held throughout Italy. Sorrentino combines its Panettoni in different versions: traditional, with pistachios, almonds, Annurca apple, cinnamon and dark chocolate, with Vesuvius pellets, with black cherries with chocolate drops.
28,00 euro price
PANETTONI SIGNED BY STARRED CHEFS (you'll be spoiled for choice)
Massimiliano Alajmo The Calande di Rubano
Massimiliano Alajmo three Michelin stars at just 27 years old in 2002 in his Le Calandre di Rubano proposes four versions of Panettone for Christmas: the Arlecchino, with extra virgin olive oil with candied orange and citron, the Integrale, with gingerbread, prunes and spices, the Moro di Venezia, with cherries, chocolate drops and chocolate cream, the Marrakech, with hazelnut praline, coffee powder and hazelnut cream.
This year's invention is the limited edition “Autumn Panettone”. The result of "An awareness and the will to adhere more and more to an artisan intention, far from compromises spoiled by an industrial modernism". A limited edition production numbered on the label of 100 pieces per week.
Price: 18,00 euros for the 500 gram "Autumn Panettone"
Price 40,00 for Marrakech, 35,00 for integral, 40,00 euros for Moro di Venezia
Niko Romito, Royal House in Castel di Sangro
Made in two versions: Classic and With chocolate in the Pane laboratory in Castel di Sangro, the panettone of the Michelin tristar Niko Romito require three days of processing with three progressive leavenings. As with Alajmo's Panettone, they are in limited and numbered production. Ingredients: flour, must sourdough, eggs, vanilla pods, butter, sulla honey, homemade candied orange zest and chocolate pearls or raisins.
The manufacturing process guarantees a panettone with a pleasantly honeycombed and soft dough, particularly rich in natural aromas.
55,00 euro price
Antonino Cannavacciuolo Villa Crespi, Orta San Giulio (NO) –
The Panettone with limoncello proposed by Antonino Cannavacciuolo has already sold out. But a second batch is ready. Within his artisan production laboratory, the two Michelin star chef has launched a line of high quality panettone which boast a 36-hour leavening with 5 kneading steps and an artisanal manufacturing with manual "pirlatura", in full respect of tradition. The patient preparation also includes 7 hours of rest upside down. Among the most prestigious ingredients are 100% Italian wheat flour, egg yolks obtained from free-range Italian hens, high-quality Italian butter, ten-year mother yeast and Madagascar bourbon vanilla. The packaging, with attention to the smallest details, is done manually. The panettone is contained in an elegant package created by the skilled hands of a master of the Italian paper industry. Filling: glucose syrup, Limoncello di Sorrento liqueur 3,4%, sugar, water, lemon juice, corn starch, NH pectin, coloring vegetable concentrate, lemon essential oil, acidifier: citric acid Glaze: white chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter.The lifespan of the panettone is guaranteed at four months, well beyond the lifespan of traditional artisanal panettone.
PRICE: 44,00 euros
Gennaro Esposito – Torre del Saracino Vico Equense
The great two-Michelin-starred chef with his Panettone with apricots “pellecchielle” from Vesuvius broke a barrier this year that seemed impossible to break down. He also brought his starred panettone to the counters of large-scale retailers. The controversies that do not shake the Chef are inevitable. The catering and agri-food crisis in times of pandemic require courageous and far-sighted choices. Products of excellence have been arriving on supermarket counters for some time now, it is a matter of moving forward the world of food and wine at all levels and safeguarding jobs.
His panettone alle 'pellecchielle' is an "unconventional" dessert, a typical expression of the Campania region that is appreciated because it is not too sweet, but remains "flaky" and with an intense aroma, the flours are those of the Caputo mill in Naples , the leavening of 36 hours – without any forcing – which makes the dough “porous” and which does not require the use of any preservatives.
Panettone with a special flavor for refinement and then there is the passion for pastry-making of Gennaro Esposito (who was born in pastry-making before becoming the great chef he has become) and of Maestro AMPI and pastry chef of Torre del Saracino, Carmine Di Donna .
Limited number. Price 45,00 euros
Massimo Bottura/Gucci
Defining it simply as Panettone is limiting. The one signed by Massimo Bottura three Michelin stars, number one of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, 1st Best Restaurant in the World in 2016 and 2018 and Gucci Osteria in Florence led by Karime Lopez and one star from the 2020 Michelin Guide, actually it is an object of desire not within everyone's reach, its cost is 80 euros. A limited edition was produced, which immediately sold out both in the traditional version and in a chocolate and black cherry version. The pastry chefs of Posillipo Dolce Officina di Gabicce Monte, in the Marche region, famous winner of the "Re Panettone 2016" award in Milan and "Una mole di Panettoni" in 2018 in Turin worked there.
80,00 euro price
COMPETITION PANETTONI
A MOLE OF PANETTONI TURIN 29 NOVEMBER
1st classified traditional artisan panettone: Marco Voci Bakery The Fruits of Wheat in Collegno (TO)
Classic Panettone of the Piedmontese school. it is par excellence the most representative product of the Frutti del grano. Voci's panettone has established itself by prevailing over over sixty master pastry chefs who challenged each other in the competition in the shadow of the Mole and who were judged by a jury chaired by John of Agnes. Fragrance and melting are the characteristics that emerge when you taste his panettone, they derive from the long leavening, and from the raw materials used, all of high quality. The soul of the panettone is undoubtedly the sourdough that Voci has been taking care of with maniacal passion for many years and it is noticeable!
Price 26,00 euros
1st place innovative panettone: Pasticceria Mascolo di Visciano (NA) with “Bourbon Panettone”
The Mascolo pastry shop has collected important results in the field of leavened products in recent years to the point that Giuseppe has been appointed ambassador of Panettone. This year he has succeeded in an operation that can be defined as a counter-history: his Panettone Borbonico, made of almond paste from Avola with mandarin, apricots from Vesuvius, Annurca apple, black cherry from Naples, dark chocolate from Modica, a concentrate of genuine southern typicality, it won the hearts of the Piedmontese judges and was awarded the innovative gold at the Turin contest, as if to say that the Kingdom of the two Sicilies took a good revenge on the Kingdom of Savoy. Even in the icing Mascolo demonstrated Bourbon pride by using almonds from Avola and mortarella quality hazelnuts, i.e. Neapolitan, preferred to the much more well-known Piedmontese ones by pursuing a harmonious gustatory comparison between acidity and sweetness.
33,00 euro price
“KING PANETTONE” MILAN 28 NOVEMBER
1st classified for the traditional panettone: Raffaele Vignola of the Caffé Vignola pastry shop in Solofra (AV)
The event that every year, since 1998, in Milan judges the creations of the best Italian pastry chefs, from whom it asks for a declaration in which they undertake to use only natural ingredients and to carefully avoid additives and semi-finished products, this year the young pastry chef from Solofra.
Son of art, born in the family pastry shop, his panettones are made with sourdough, flour, raisins and candied citrus fruits in suspension, butter, egg yolks, sugar; cross cut on top, no icing). Raffaele is not new to awards to King Panettone. In 2019 he received a mention for Made in Italy innovative leavened cake made with three different doughs. The previous year he had brought home two mentions, one for the panettone and another for the innovative leavened cake, which was Omaggio a Genova, a green panettone with Ligurian basil DOP In short, a panettone guaranteed by a long experience
30 euro price
PANETTONE TENZO PARMA NOVEMBER 15TH
1st classified for the traditional panettone: Roberto Cantolacqua Ripani of Tolentino
“For a professional – says Cantolacqua – Panettone is a very stimulating dessert because it pushes you to create creative combinations, but at the same time it pushes you to perfect yourself in the creation of the Classico, which is the most complete and complex pastry dessert. For this reason, alongside the traditional artisanal one, the chef from Tolentino offers 27 types, with pears and Tonka beans, with pecans and caramel chocolate, with pistachios, with strudel filling
Price: 34,00
1st place for the innovative panettone: Gabriele Ciacci of Opera Waiting in Paggibonsi (SI)
An undoubtedly daring recipe based on saffron, whiskey and chamomile that has proved to be a winner. The young Ciacci has clear ideas despite his young age. His panettone is soft, it makes you feel the warmth of the butter, it is a dessert that tastes like Christmas, but does not exceed in sweetness, preferring to enhance an intense but balanced and well-distributed aromatic complex
Pprice 30,00 euros for 850 gr.
PANETTONE WITHOUT MONTICHIARI BORDERS 15 NOVEMBER
1st place traditional artisan panettone: Vincenzo Faiella, pastry chef from San Marzano sul Sarno.
A career that began at the age of 12 alongside his father as a pastry chef and then consolidated at the school of master leavener Toty Catanese, of the great masters of pastry Rolando Morandin, of Achille Zoia and Eliseo Tonti, which brought him to the national limelight of the great Italian pastry. Winner of the 2019 and 2020 "Best panettone in the world" award from FIPGC and the "Parma city of gastronomy" Faiella convinced a strict jury presided over by none other than Igino Massari, graduated 110 cum laude.
33 euro price
1st classified category with difficulty: Massimo Ferrantand the Ferrante pastry shop in Campomorrone (GE)
The Genoese Massimo Ferrante was awarded the victory in the section with difficulty, a classic artisan panettone to be combined in the dough with candied oranges and coffee.
Ferrante, trained at the Morandin school, has already won numerous awards, including first place in the "Re Panettone 2017 Competition in the Innovative Leavened Products category with "Albimokka", the variant of the traditional panettone, with candied apricots, liqueur coffee infusion and white chocolate . Whether innovative or traditional, Ferrante's panettone is always a pleasant taste experience.
MASTER PANETTONE 7 NOVEMBER
1st place for the traditional artisan panettone: Matteo Papanicand the Cresci pastry shop in Castellana Grotte – (BA)
Matteo Papanice's Panettone established itself after a selection of 150 panettone from all over Italy, and a blind judgment by the authoritative technical jury. The event organized by Goloasi.it to promote and enhance the best Italian realities that produce artisan panettone sets compliance with the Regulations as a condition, and judges the appearance, taste, softness and aroma of the sweets in the competition. Banned sulfur dioxide and privileged the tradition of quality. An artisan panettone guaranteed in all respects.
25,00 euro price
PANETTONE DAY 2020 SEPTEMBER 15TH
1st place traditional artisan panettone: Gianluca Prete, of the Fumagalli pastry shop in Inverigo (CO)
It was a great emotion for the young twenty-four year old pastry chef to be awarded by the great Igino Massari as first classified in the traditional panettone section at Panettone Day. Graduated from the Collegio Ballerini hotel institute in Seregno, Prete specialized by following the pastry course in Brescia at Cast Foods. And, surprisingly, he won demonstrating that he had assimilated all the principles of the white art in an exemplary manner. His words make the freshness and genuineness of his artisan panettone more than any judgement: “After some work experiences and various constructive and non-constructive criticisms, I decided together with my team to get involved, trying to participate in the panettone day competition! After many tests and afternoons of hard work, to my amazement I managed to win”.
31,00 euro price
1st place for an innovative panettone: Magda Fasciglione from the Asselle pastry shop in Bra (CN)
Magda Fasciglione is also under 25 to have received the award from Massari's hands. She made a name for herself with Espresso Biondo, an artisanal panettone born from the encounter between blonde caramel chocolate and the best Arabica coffee. The dough, leavened for 18 hours, is made with quality dairy butter, very fresh eggs, Madagascar vanilla and citrus peel. The pastry shop was founded in 1959 by Domenico Asselle after a long experience with the greatest Piedmontese pastry chefs. Today it has reached the third generation. And Magda uses live yeast handed down by Domenico.
29,00 euro price
WORLD'S BEST PANETTONE AWARD OCTOBER 25TH
1st classified in the classic section: Giuseppe ZipLe Mille Voglie pastry shop in Specchia (LE)
In 2019 Giuseppe Zippo had already climbed to the podium of the competition organized by the International Federation of Pastry Ice Cream Chocolate (Fipgc) obtaining the silver medal, this year the gold has arrived. Di lui is a panettone with a Salento value, in the sense that the chef researches and enhances the genius loci products, such as honey produced by hand in the vicinity, Bitritto almonds, an Italian excellence, local flours. And the entire supply chain, from packaging to components, is also local: "We are in a moment of difficulty - he says - and we have to move the circular economy to support our resources". At the international competition held at the CineCittà World in Rome, his traditional glazed panettone was proclaimed "Excellence of Italian pastry".
27 euro price
PANETTONE MAXIMO ROME DECEMBER 6
1st place classic artisan panettone Andrea D'Antoni, Pasticceria D'Antoni since 19774 Rome
The Panettone made by Andrea D'Antoni is certainly balanced, a balance achieved however with a general imbalance of the ingredients as regards the classic canons of a recipe. 4 different types of citrus fruits have been used, and they can be felt. For the candied fruit, a not extremely sweet orange was used, with a strong but brief candiedness. Australian raisins, the most used for panettone, this year are smaller and darker, due to the fires that have afflicted Australia. Andrea has chosen to integrate it with Chilean raisins, larger and sour. It's easy to say Panettone, but behind it there is a whole world to discover. “We mainly put passion into it, we like being pastry chefs, sometimes it's good for us, sometimes it's bad for us, but let us do it. A piece of advice to all young people like me who face challenges in life, exaggerate!
29 euro price
SOLIDARITY PANETTONI
In times of great economic difficulties and great inconvenience for the weaker segment of the population who are paying the price for the Covid-19 emergency, there is a fourth category of Panettoni, in addition to those of the great pastry chefs, starred chefs, award-winning masters national competitions and is that of the Solidarity Panettone. We point out some of them.
The Panettone of the inmates of the Nisida juvenile prison
In the juvenile prison of Nisida the following has been active for some time: "Monelli tra i fornelli Onlus, La cucineria di Nisida" a beautiful initiative that aims to direct the prison boys towards a productive activity that can facilitate their recovery and facilitate their return to society. It was started by a prison cook four years ago. This has taken hold and now leading the brigade is a real chef Pietro Parisi, the peasant cook of Era Ora in Palma Campania (NA), who has long been involved in social work. This is how the "Panettone stuffed with hope" was born.
“I'm too happy this year to get my hands dirty with the guys from Nisida, but above all to bring this cake to my table. We have decided to make only 500 and, although I know that the market is full of those of the greatest chefs and pastry chefs, I realize that, in this very difficult period for everyone, people find Christmas the right time to donate something important to those who he is less fortunate. For yourself or for a gift full of meaning”. Available in 6 variants from the classic to the one with pistachio, it can be ordered on the chef's website.
Price: € 24,00
San Patrignano Panettone
Panettone di San Patrignano is prepared with a mother yeast which, for 11 years, has been taken care of and worked by the boys of the community, to obtain a light and fragrant product. Its structure is the result of three consecutive days of preparation and nourishment of the sourdough with double leavening for 24 hours. High quality raisins perfectly marry the natural aroma deriving from the combination of honey and vanilla pods. Panettone without icing and candied fruit with raisins, honey and natural flavourings
Price: 18,53 euros. The 750 g piece costs 13,90 euros
Solidarity Panettone Athletichef and Mother Yeast Masters
The Master Pastry Chefs of Athletichef, the Academy of Masters of Mother Yeast, of Italian Panettone, together with the Parma Ham Consortium, have joined forces to support the New Oncological Center of the Parma Hospital. Even in times of Covid «We didn't stop - says Mariagrazia Soncini President of Athletichef - and we decided to organize, precisely in this pre-Christmas period, the sale of panettone which is the symbol of Christmas and the exquisite craftsmanship of our pastry chefs among the most famous in Italy and in the world». “Even we at Parma Oncology do not stop - says Francesco Leonardi, director of medical Oncology of the Parma University Hospital - and we stand by the side of our patients and family members, especially in this particularly difficult period. Thank you for not giving up and for continuing to support us in a key year in which the project for the new Oncological Center is laying the foundations for becoming a reality".
Contribution: 30 euros
Panettone for good, pro kids in need
It is called "Panettone per bene" that offered for charity by the Sant Ambroeus pastry shop in Milan. Panettone is made with natural yeast and excellent raw materials and is therefore a guarantee of quality and craftsmanship.
The Pasticceria Sant Ambroeus Milano will donate part of the proceeds from the sale of its "Panettone per Bene" to the non-profit CAF Association which welcomes and takes care of children and young people in serious difficulty in its Residential Communities. The "Panettone per Bene" can be purchased in the Sant Ambroeus pastry shop in Milan, Corso Giacomo Matteotti, 7. Or also through the CAF Association website, against a donation. Two versions: with Classic wrapping or in the traditional hat box.
Also in Milan, the Pasticceria Giacomo in via Pasquale Sottocorno 5 will donate a part of the proceeds from the sales of its famous panettone (long leavening dough (20h), mixed with raw materials such as fresh eggs, Sicilian orange peel, Australian raisins, cedar cubes, without preservatives) at the Mafalda Luce center, dedicated to the treatment of autism in childhood and adolescence
Price: from 39,00 to 50,00 euros
Solidarity Panettone Lidl Red Cross
Solidarity Panettone from Lidl in support of the Red Cross. The European supermarket chain has released its Deluxe by Lidl (€4,79). From 30 November, for every panettone sold, Lidl will donate one to the Red Cross which will resell it on its own channels to raise funds.
