Traditional Panettone

Panettone Tradizionale by La Perla di Torino, the classic

Panettone Tradizionale by La Perla di Torino is the original Italian Christmas cake, weighing 500 grams. Sultanas and candied orange and lemon peel are nestled in the soft leavened dough, and the finished loaf is hand-wrapped in paper.

Panettone Tradizionale is the Christmas classic from La Perla di Torino in Turin, weighing 500 grams and baked with a high dome. The dough is bound with type 0 soft wheat flour, butter, and fresh egg yolk, just as the old recipe dictates.

Sultanas, citrus peel, and a light, airy crumb

The aroma comes first, while you are still unwrapping the paper, carrying notes of butter, yeast, and orange peel all at once.

The crumb is threaded with long pores that pull into strands when torn, with the fruit distributed throughout. A panettone that tastes only sweet was made too quickly, because it is the tension between the raisin and the citrus peel that keeps even the third piece interesting.

The candied peels come from orange and lemon, each contributing its own bitterness. Butter and fresh egg yolk give the crumb its yellow hue and the richness that distinguishes a holiday dough from bread.

Why a fine flour must support the dough

In Italy, type 0 soft wheat flour is a finely ground flour that can withstand a high fat content and a long fermentation.

Italian numbers range from 00 to 2, and the lower the number, the finer the grain is ground. The lighter the flour, the more delicate the crumb and the more butter the dough can absorb without collapsing.

At the same time, such a dough needs strong gluten because it must rise for hours while supporting its own weight. A weaker flour would not hold the butter content and would cause the crumb to become coarse. La Perla di Torino gives the dough the time that this type of leavened pastry requires.

Hand-wrapped like a candy

At the end, someone wraps the loaf in paper and gathers it together at both ends.

In Italy, this is called confezione a caramella, wrapped like a candy. Anyone unwrapping the panettone twists the ends open rather than tearing open foil, and that is all part of the evening.

Before being wrapped, the loaf cools down completely so that no condensation forms under the paper. The paper remains on the loaf until it is sliced, keeping the crumb soft. If you are giving it as a gift, you don't need any further packaging, as it is already wrapped and ready for the table.

A Christmas cake to end the meal

The panettone from La Perla di Torino comes to the table when no one is hungry anymore, yet everyone reaches for a slice.

A small glass of dessert wine or a strong coffee is all you need. Leftover slices can be dipped in milk and egg and fried in a pan, turning the remains into a second dessert.

For the first slice, use a long knife so that the high dome does not collapse under pressure. Wrapped in paper, the opened loaf will keep for several days without drying out. The Panettone Glassato comes with a hazelnut glaze and in a tin; more seasonal items can be found in the Christmas selection, and the manufacturer's assortment shows what else La Perla di Torino bakes.