We tasted the 2024 versions of four panettoni in The Florentine‘s newsroom ahead of the holiday season.
Read more about the story of the panettone.
The boutique one
This is the perfect panettone to give to your in-laws or that important client. Enclosed in a contemporary design box complete with a gilded interior, the Brescia-born master baker’s leavened delights never fail to impress. Exceedingly moist, beautifully buttery and sprinkled with exquisitely flavoured sultanas and candied Calabrian orange, Iginio Massari’s Almond-Glazed Panettone is destined for instant devouring after 65 hours in the making.
46 euro, via dei Vecchietti 3-5
The bakery one
Allow yourself to be allured by the Tiffany box-esque packaging before lifting the lid on Leonardo’s Panettone Albicocca and swoon at the sugary aromas. The perfect dome dotted with almonds and sugar strands makes a favourable impression, while the pillowy interior smudged with soft apricot is the perfect solution for the panettone-averse who usually prefer a pandoro.
37 euro, via Porta Rossa 14R + via dei Macci 65R
The coffeeshop one
As stylish as the 18th-century Caffè Gilli lining piazza della Repubblica, the blue and gold round tin entices with embossed Art Deco accents. Inside, the one-kilo tall Panettone Mandorlato promises boundless joy. Sticky, sugary and loaded with candied fruit, there’s an aristocratic allure to the 36-hour leavening.
43 euro, via Rome 1R
The supermarket one
There’s something addictive about this store-bought sweet bread (Panettone Arancia e Cioccolato Fondente) from Unicoop Firenze. Bursting with dark chocolate dashes and candied orange peel, the hazelnut glaze is as moreish as it gets, while the 40-hour leavening, natural yeast and free-range eggs make it hard to believe that this is an industrialized panettone.
9.35 euro, available from all Unicoop Firenze supermarkets
The GF+DF ones
Catalin Varela of The Celiac in Italy blog prefers Nutrifree and “other good gluten-free options include Motta, Bauli and Piaceri Mediterranei”. The lactose intolerant can look to the likes of Maina and fine bakery Iginio Massari.
