FOOD HISTORY: Panettone

Panettone is an Italian, tall, light, fruit-filled sweet bread particularly served at Christmas

Panettone  roughly translates to "large loaf cake" and comes from the Italian "pantto" meaning, "small loaf cake" with the suffix "one"  added to make it into "large loaf cake". In the ancient Roman Empire, the Romans created a special rising dough bread recipe that used honey. While not resembling Panettone, the Romans were responsible for the principle behind the bread. The knowledge of making this bread was passed down until it reached Milan,  From there, stories about the origin of Panettone vary. The  most famous concerns Ugehetto degli Attallini, a rich man who was in love with a young woman named Adalgisa, from a much poorer family. Ugehetto felt they could not afford her dowry and, therefore, Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan would not give his blessing to the union. However, Adalgisa's father, Toni, worked in the Dukes kitchen and was a talented cook. Ugehetto invented a new bread to impress both Adalgisa's father and the Duke. He added ingredients nobody had used before; butter, eggs, leavening, candied orange peel, both orange and lemon zest and citron. He named his new bread, Pan de Ton (Toni's bread,) after Adalgisa's father, and presented it to the Duke, allowing the Duke to think it was  made by Toni. The Duke loved the new dessert and gave his blessing to the marriage. Another story about the origin of Panettone also relates to Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan and why Panettone is associated with the Christmas season. On Christmas Eve, the official baker for the Court burned the cake that was to be served. To save the situation, Toni, a kitchen helper, using a brick of sourdough he had left aside for his Christmas, added flour, eggs, raisins, candied fruits and sugar, thus obtaining a particular leavened and soft dough. The dessert was so appreciated by the Duke, that it was decided to call it "Pan di Toni", which later "morphed" into Panettone several centuries later. There are other stories about the origin of Panettone but these two are the most popular. Whichever  is the "true" story of the origin of Panettone, just after World War 1, it became widely known because a young backer from Milan, Angelo Motta, revolutionized the traditional way of making it. He add fat and  allowed it to rise three times before baking which  gave it its tall, dome shape. Further, he wrapped it in straw paper turning it into the dessert we find in stores today. Around 1925, the recipe was adapted by a competitor, Giacchino Alemana who gave his name to a popular brand which still exists today. This stiff competition between the two led to the industrialized growth of the bread-like cake. Italians migrating to and settling in countries around the world brought their love of Panettone with them.  Because of this, Panettone is found and eaten in many countries around the world, including Europe, United States, South America, Canada and Australia.