Christmas is approaching and, as tradition has it, brings with it an age-old debate: panettone or pandoro? The challenge of Christmas sweets has always been fought with variations and reinterpretations, transforming these masterpieces of confectionery art into symbols of festivity and conviviality.
The holiday season is filled with the scent of butter and sugar of two sweet symbols of the holidays: the panettone and the pandoro. Their origins are different, but they share a deep connection with Christmas.
From classic versions evoking the warmth of the holidays to gourmet innovations that tickle the most curious palates, panettone and pandoro continue to challenge each other conquering the table of millions in Italy (but also worldwide).
To fully understand the challenge and what is the difference between panettone and pandoro you need to take a step back and understand the origins and characteristics that make these Christmas sweets so special.
Panettone and pandoro: origins in comparison
The varieties of regional Christmas sweets are many, from spongata emiliana to buccellato siciliano, but panettone and pandoro have won a place of honor on every table. These two delicacies have overcome regional differences to become national heritage.
Panettone and pandoro, although they are very popular, have created a “sweet challenge” that is renewed every year during the Christmas holidays: the panettone with its soft dome and its interior rich in candied fruit evokes the warmth and generosity of the Milanese tradition; The pandoro with its golden star and buttery taste recalls the elegance and simplicity of Verona culture.
The Milanese tradition of panettone
The panettone was born in Milan, but its history is full of legends that add an extra value to the dessert of tradition.
The most widely accepted version of the origins of the panettone refers to the “Pan de Toni” of the late fifteenth century, the improvised creation of a humble boy by Ludovico il Moro who, repairing the cake burned in the oven, saved the Christmas banquet.
One of the most romantic versions tells of Ulivo degli Atellani, a young falconer in love who created a cake made from flour, butter, sugar, eggs, raisins and candied fruit to win the heart of Adalisa, the beautiful daughter of a baker.
Another version on the origin of the panettone tells that the sweet was born thanks to a nun named Ughetta. On the occasion of Christmas, in fact, he decided to enrich the traditional bread dough with butter, sugar, candied fruit and raisins and to make it more special with a cross on the surface.
More realistically, the panettone would descend from the enriched breads that already in the Middle Ages were prepared during the Christmas period. It was between the nineteenth and twentieth century that the panettone, thanks to the progress in baking and intuitions of Angelo Motta, became the dessert we know. The height and the dense, soft consistency are the result of the introduction of yeast by the Milanese pastry chef Giovanni Felice Luraschi.
Panettone and pandoro, although they are very popular, have created a “sweet challenge” that is renewed every year during the Christmas holidays: the panettone with its soft dome and its interior rich in candied fruit evokes the warmth and generosity of the Milanese tradition; The pandoro with its golden star and buttery taste recalls the elegance and simplicity of Verona culture.
The Milanese tradition of panettone
The panettone was born in Milan, but its history is full of legends that add an extra value to the dessert of tradition.
The most widely accepted version of the origins of the panettone refers to the “Pan de Toni” of the late fifteenth century, the improvised creation of a humble boy by Ludovico il Moro who, repairing the cake burned in the oven, saved the Christmas banquet.
One of the most romantic versions tells of Ulivo degli Atellani, a young falconer in love who created a cake made from flour, butter, sugar, eggs, raisins and candied fruit to win the heart of Adalisa, the beautiful daughter of a baker.
Another version on the origin of the panettone tells that the sweet was born thanks to a nun named Ughetta. On the occasion of Christmas, in fact, he decided to enrich the traditional bread dough with butter, sugar, candied fruit and raisins and to make it more special with a cross on the surface.
More realistically, the panettone would descend from the enriched breads that already in the Middle Ages were prepared during the Christmas period. It was between the nineteenth and twentieth century that the panettone, thanks to the progress in baking and intuitions of Angelo Motta, became the dessert we know. The height and the dense, soft consistency are the result of the introduction of yeast by the Milanese pastry chef Giovanni Felice Luraschi.
The origins of the pandoro in Verona
The pandoro tells a more recent story, but it is no less fascinating. In fact, the origins of this Christmas cake are different: some people trace it back to other traditional sweets such as “nadalin” or “velà”; others associate it with the Venetian “pan de oro”; and still others see it as the evolution of the “bread of Vienna”.
The true consecration as an iconic product is due to the grocer Domenico Melegatti who, towards the end of the nineteenth century, patented the modern recipe based on butter, sugar, flour and eggs inspired by the “levà” sweet from Verona and the eight-pointed star shape designed with the help of the painter Angelo Dall’Oca Bianca.
Since then, the pandoro has been distinguished by its richness of ingredients, light and honeycomb texture and golden crust, as well as its elegant star shape.
The variations between tradition and innovation
In recent years, regardless of who was born first between the panettone and the pandoro, both Christmas sweets have been able to maintain their link with tradition, but they have also become fertile ground for reinterpretations by pastry masters.
Today, although it maintains its characteristic dome shape, the panettone comes in many variations ranging from traditional with candied fruit to gourmet interpretations that prefer only raisins or candied fruit or include dark chocolate or milk, coffee, pistachio and even exotic ingredients like mango or pineapple.
Mention it separately deserves one of the most popular and appreciated interpretations of the panettone, that of the salty panettone. It has the same way of rising and the same shape as a panettone, but is more like a brioche bread in consistency and is stuffed with salty ingredients. Instead of candied fruit, the panettone is enriched with cheeses (such as gorgonzola), cold cuts (such as ham or cured ham and salami), salmon, tuna, shrimp or vegetables (such as zucchini).
With its delicate, buttery taste, the pandoro lends itself to various personalizations: natural aromas (such as vanilla or citrus), tasty inserts (like chocolate drops), tasty stuffing (such as mascarpone cream, pistachio or chocolate) or refined glazes (as a dark or white chocolate cover).
In recent years, as part of the awareness about food intolerances, companies and pastry chefs have developed a vegan version of both panettone and pandoro, free of eggs and butter, Able to maintain softness through the use of other ingredients such as vegetable margarine and vegetable milk (for example, almond or soy milk).
There is no shortage of homemade tests by the most daring, even if they are very difficult to prepare themselves because of the laborious recipes and preparation times: the panettone is worked for about four days (two of which are dedicated to the leavening) while the pandoro also requires up to thirty-six hours of processing (including at least seven cycles of dough and ten hours of fermentation).
Some curiosities..
Every year the challenge between panettone and pandoro is renewed, one of the most heated discussions among Italians in this period that is fought with curiosity.
Pu being very popular for its intense taste and the richness of raisins and candied fruit, should be served before the fruit and never accompanied by coffee if you want to respect flavors and balance. It can be enjoyed with your hands if served without cream; on the contrary you must use the fork to lock the slice and the spoon to peel off a piece at a time and collect the cream.
As for the masterpiece of Verona, while winning with its simplicity and buttery sweetness, Many do not know that to fully enjoy the softness and sweetness it should be warmed up a few seconds before serving in order to allow the sugar to melt and fully express what pandoro is. In addition, there is also the possibility of icing sugar on the surface.
There is no absolute winner: often the choice depends on personal tastes or family traditions, but panettone and pandoro remain undisputed protagonists of Christmas. According to the 2023 market data presented by the Italian Food Union Panettone, the panettone has recorded a growth of +3.5% in volume and +6.5% in value, reaching respectively 37,647 tons and 237.9 million euros. At the same time, the pandoro recorded a +4.1% in volume and a +5.9% in value, with 32,073 tonnes and 165.2 million euros.
Whether it is panettone or pandoro, tradition promises to be respected. Not surprisingly, in fact, Italy is the world’s largest producer with millions of sweets sold every year and promoter of events and championships dedicated to decretare the best craft product.
Copertina : Unsplash