Panettone – an Italian christmas cake
Email This Post
Panettone, alongside Pandoro, is a christmas staple throughout Italy (and in various parts of the world where Italian emigrants settled, in particular Argentina, Brazil and other parts of Latin America). It’s a type of light bread sweatened with candied fruits, raisins, and lemon zest – and in variations chocolate or custard.
Where does the name Panettone come from?
The simplest explanation for this is that it is related to panetto, or little bread. The ‘one‘ added changes the meaning to large bread. This explanation, though, gives away nothing of its treasured Milanese roots – so various experts favour the more local idea that the name comes from the Milanese ‘pan del ton‘ or bread of luxury.
There are, as with so many foods, plenty of legends surrounding the origins of panettone – including that of star crossed lovers the noble Ughetto Atellani and the baker’s daughter Adalgisa. Ughetto, according to legend, disguised himself as a baker’s apprentice in order to stay close to his beloved, and in the process introduced a new bread which became immensely popular, changing the baker’s fortunes and allowing for the couple to marry.
In reality the bread probably has its roots in antiquity – similar breads were used in Roman times, in particular to celebrate the winter solstice – a tradition that was kept up with the coming of Christianity. Italian folkorists describe how panettone and other regional variations (pandoro in Verona, for example) were made at home and eaten alongside the burning of the Ciocco – a piece of wood, similar to the Germanic ylue log – to augur for a prosperous new year.
It’s been suggested that Pieter Breughel the elder, who spent time in Italy, included Panettone in his painting the Peasants Wedding, painted in the 1560s, and apparently appears in the famous renaissance cookbook by Bartolomeo Scappi – cook to, amongst others, Pope Pius V.
Panettone is one of those Italian foods that, through clever marketing and industrial production, has changed its status from a regional food to a national and international favourite. Historian John Dickie describes the path taken, in his excellent book Delizia! The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food
“Italians only take foods to their hearts that have a claim to being genuine. Or ‘typical’ or ‘authentic’ or ‘traditional’, which have the same vague and evocative appeal. The contemporary era is the ear of national foods, dishes that, for the first time in history, have united culinary Italy from north to south, and from top to bottom of the social scale. All national foods have a sound pedigree in one or other region of the peninsula, yet all are made on an industrial scale. Panettone is one instance: the delicously soft, light cake with candied fruit was originally a Milanese speciality. But by the time of In Search of Genuine Foods [an Italian tv series by journalist Mario Soldati], shrewd marketing had turned it into a Christmas treat for all. One company used to present panettoni to winners in the hugely popular Giro d’Italia cycyle race. Genuine Milanese panettone was already becoming an object of nostalgia – Soldati visits a pastry shop that is one of the few still making it in the original way.”
[Pg 308, Delizia by John Dickie]
Ingredients
800grms of White Flour
15grms of Yeast
150grms of Butter
2 full eggs
4 Egg Whites
400grms of Sugar
80grms of Assorted Candied Fruits
50grms of Sultanas
25grms of Icing sugar
Salt
60mls of Milk
How to make Panettone
The most important part of the Panettone is the dough, which needs to be worked extensively in order to get that characteristically light texture. To achieve this, start the day before! To begin with, take the yeast, about 200grms of the flour and the milk lightly heated, and mix well in a large baking bowl (you need to give the dough plenty of space to rise). When mixed well, and shaped into a round base, cover with a towel and leave overnight to rise, in a warm and dry place.
The next day – starting early – returning to your dough, take it out and add a further 100grms of flour along with some drops of tepid water, and work together, then leave for about 2 hours.
Repeat this procedure, leaving the mixture to rest for a further three hours.
There’s a certain amount of discussion, as to whether your sultanas should be soaked or added dry to the eventual mix – if you want them softer, soak them in water for twenty minutes.
While you’re waiting for the dough to be ready, get the other ingredients ready. Melt most of the butter over a low flame, making sure not to burn (you’ll need a little butter left over to grease the baking tin). In a separate pan heat lightly a small amount of water in which you’ll melt the sugar and a pinch of salt, then away from the flame add the eggs and egg whites beaten.
Prepare your tall baking tin, greasing it with butter. Make sure it’s tall enough to give the panettone its characteristic shape (some people like to use a star-shaped form rather than the traditional round one).
Now, start adding the rest of the flour to your dough, along with drops of water, and slowly parts of the butter and egg mixtures, constantly working the dough. Towards the end start adding both the sultanas and candied fruits, making sure they’re worked deep into the mixture and spread throughout. Once you’ve worked this all together, resist the temptation to whip it into the oven, and instead leave the mixture aside covered for three hours.
Pre-heat your oven to about 180° and cook for 45 minutes, until the panttone has a golden brown colouring and has fully risen. Take it out and allow to cool upside down (which will help avoid a collapse of the raisins and fruit to the bottom). Then your panettone is ready – you can cover it in icing sugar if you wish.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with Crema di Mascarpone or Zabaglione
To Drink
If eating at breakfast, with coffee or hot chocolate. If at lunch or dinner, try a spumante or moscato
Email This Post
Tags: breads, fruits, italian christmas recipes, italian culinary history, italian desserts, milan, seasonal dishes
