It is certainly one of the most typical Milanese gluttonous traditions that dates back to the 1500s, but for some time now the best, tastiest, softest, have been produced, outside the borders of Lombardy, much further south, in Campania, in Basilicata, in Puglia. A real gastronomic affront. Let's talk about Panettone, the dessert universally associated with Christmas festivities and New Year's Eve dinners which is also exported abroad.
Legend has it that it was "invented" by Toni, a scullery boy in the service of Ludovico il Moro, who had a cake prepared by the cook burnt in the oven for a sumptuous Christmas lunch that Sforza, patron of Leonardo Da Vinci, intended to offer to the nobles of the district. Toni was not discouraged by this and immediately proceeded to prepare another, less elaborate one, scraping together what he had in the pantry: flour, butter, eggs, citron peel and a few raisins, proposing it to the cook to apologize. Courageously it was brought to Messer Ludovico's table who appreciated the flavor of that delicacy so much that he wanted to know its origins. The cook revealed the secret: «L'è 'l pan del Toni» which immediately became the “panettone”.
Another legend is instead linked to a beautiful love story: Messer Ughetto degli Atellani, a falconer, who lived in the Contrada delle Grazie in Milan was madly in love with the beautiful Algisa, daughter of a baker. In order to win the heart of his girlfriend and the consent of his father, the boy got himself hired as a boy and, to prove his skill, he invented a cake with what he had on hand: with flour from the mill he mixed eggs, butter, honey and sultanas. Then he baked. This sweet and candied bread was immediately successful, the baker appreciated the initiative of the young man (and the earnings of the shop) and the two lived happily ever after.
Since then, Panettone spread to the tables of all the Milanese first and then of the Italians: today about 100 million pieces of panettone and pandoro are produced for a value of about 600 million euros and its artisan production is strictly linked to a disciplinary . The Milan Chamber of Commerce has registered a trademark regulated by a production specification drawn up by the "Committee of Milanese Pastry Masters" made up of representatives of trade associations in the sector and a consumer representative.
An event held every year in Milan with the auspices of the municipal administration is reserved for this glory of the Milanese-Italian pastry shop and is called – and it could not be otherwise – “King Panettone” now in its eighth edition. Its creator, Stanislaus Porzio, author of a highly documented volume "Panettone, history, legend, secrets and fortunes" published by Guido Tommasi Editore, selects the best pastry chefs in Italy who are then compared and subjected to the judgment of a jury of gastronomes and the evaluation of over 20.000 visitors who flock to the event. All rigorously artisanal panettone, made without ingredients that artificially prolong their life (such as preservatives and mono- and diglycerides used by industry), nor semi-finished products that facilitate artisanal production, homogenizing their flavors (dehydrated yeasts and mixes). The goal of Re Panettone – says Porzio – is in fact to enhance the naturalness, quality, freshness of the products on the one hand and the technical ability and creative originality of the craftsman on the other”.
This year's winner was Sal De Riso from Salerno, a face known to the general television audience for his attendance on the most important food and wine broadcasts, owner of the homonymous pastry shop in Tramonti. And special mentions of the jury went to Vincenzo Tiri pastry chef from Acerenza (PZ) and tarantino Emanuele Lenti of the Precious Forneria Lenti in Grottaglie.
Saving Lombard honor was for the Innovative Leavened Cake category for everything the year Luca Riganti of the Dolcearte pastry shop, from Mornago (VA) which won the award for this category. And special mentions from the jury went to Alfonso Pepe, still from Campania, who from the pastry shop of the same name in S. Egidio del Monte Albino (SA) bakes panettone that wins prize after prize throughout Italy and who won first place in the edition Neapolitan of “Re Panettone“ 2015 and to Alessandro Marra of the homonymous pastry shop in Cantù (CO).
A Southern combination this year? Not even in the slightest. Sal De Riso had already secured the prize in 2012 for the leavened desserts filled with a limoncello panettone, while the classic prize "PanGiuso" from the name of the company that sponsors the event, had gone to Maurizio Bonanomi of Pasticceria Merlo, from Pioltello (ME). And again De Riso had won the first prize in the 2013 edition while Roberto Viganò of Forno dei Viganò, from Desio (MB), with the sweet Felicità had conquered the category of innovative leavened products. With the 2014 there was therefore a passing of the baton: the best panettone in Italy was packaged by Alfonso Pepe while De Riso had secured the award for the innovative leavened dessert category for the whole year. In short, a real predominance of the South over the confectionery North.
But what is the secret of the success of southern pastry chefs over those from Milan who invented Panettone and cultivated it throughout history until it became a source of pride for Made in Italy? Alfonso Pepe, with great modesty, gives three explanations: his experience in making sourdough; the scents of southern citrus fruits, lemons, oranges, tangerines, cedars that transmit a fragrant aroma to the dough; the excellence of the raw materials, the flour, the fruit, the raisins. "The citrus fruits of the coast - he says - I prepare them myself and I do not add any chemical products because everything must have the natural taste". But then he adds a fourth: passion. “It is a product born from love, I never abandon the processing phase. These days I go on until two in the morning to check every moment of the dough, the leavening and cooking. And if there's something wrong, you throw everything away and start over because what comes out of my ovens is the result of love and passion for this profession. And above all it is the result of a practice and research that has lasted, at least for me, for twenty years, always with the aim of improving, perfecting, enhancing the taste and flavors of what the great Iginio Massari rightly defined as the “King” of pastry.
RECIPE
In spite of its "poor" origins, the Panettone by Alfonso Pepe, an authoritative member of the Italian Pastry Academy, now exported all over the world from the United States to Hong Kong, from Burma to Spain, requires a laborious process that takes days of work .
Here is his secret: "Apart from the ingredients, which must all be of the highest quality", we start with the "mother", put away the day before, which is mixed with flour and water and then left to rest for three and a half hours at a temperature of 27-28 degrees. Then we move on to a second kneading of the dough which must rest again for three and a half hours, always at 27-28 degrees. We then arrive at the third processing from which we obtain, setting it aside, the "mother" for the following day. Everything is reshuffled and finally, after another 4 hours of rest, the basic dough is ready. We then move on to the second phase. Add the sugar, the vanilla pods (“I use only Madagascar quality”), the malt, add more double zero soft wheat flour, mix until the mixture is very compact and leave to rise for 12-14 hours. It's time for flavors: acacia honey to ensure softness to the dough, candied orange paste to give it aroma, salt, butter, sugar, raisins (“I always use the 'Australian six crowns', rare but soft and with a delicate flavour) and candied fruit. Finally egg yolks but without the albumen which would dry out the dough. Another 30 minutes of rest then the molds are filled, they are left to rest for another 30 minutes and finally the panettones are baked at 170 degrees for about 50 minutes. At the end of cooking, the last operation: they are left to cool upside down so that no voids are created inside. Seeing is believing.
