The star of Christmas in Italy — and at Carluccio’s. Naturally leavened from Lievito Madre, our traditional Panettone has a wonderfully light, buttery and aromatic crumb, generously studded with fragrant candied citrus peel and plump sultanas, then finished with a delicate, crackled hazelnut glaze.
Our relationship with its makers, Signora Audasso and Signor Minetti, stretches back more than 30 years. It began with a handwritten letter agreeing to supply Antonio Carluccio’s Neal Street Deli in Covent Garden; as both businesses grew, their Panettone became an enduring part of Christmas at Carluccio’s.
Made only between September and December, each Panettone takes around three days to create. The Lievito Madre is repeatedly refreshed, the dough slowly kneaded and proved several times, before the fruit is folded through and each cake is left to rise once more in its paper pirottino. A hazelnut glaze is added just before baking, becoming crisp and crackled in the oven.
Once baked, the Panettone is suspended upside down for around 15 hours as it cools, protecting its characteristic height and beautifully airy structure.
Serve generously with a glass of Prosecco, tear off a piece while watching a Christmas film, or toast a slice and spread with butter for breakfast. And should any survive Christmas Day — we doubt it — it makes a rather wonderful bread and butter pudding.
