The history of panettone
Panettone derives from Pan de Toni?
Toni, a scullery boy in the kitchen of Ludovico il Moro, is said to be the inventor of one of the most characteristic sweets of Italian tradition. Here's the story: on the eve of Christmas, the Sforza's head chef burns the cake prepared for the ducal banquet. Toni, then, decides to sacrifice the loaf of sourdough he had set aside for his Christmas. He worked it with flour, eggs, sugar, sultanas and candied fruit, until he obtained a soft and highly leavened dough. The result is a great success, which Ludovico il Moro named Pan de Toni in homage to its creator.
The enterprising scullery boy competes with other pastry creatives, including Ughetto degli Atellani and Suor Ughetta. The place of contention, however, is not history, but the collective imagination: Toni's and the others are legends conceived between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, to further ennoble what is already the pride of Milan gastronomy. Ughetto and Ughetta, by the way, are names linked to the word for sultanas in milanese: ughett.
The true origins of panettone
The true origins of panettone can be found in the medieval custom of celebrating Christmas with bread that was richer than everyday bread. A late 15th century manuscript attests to the ducal custom of celebrating the so-called ciocco ritual. On the evening of 24 December, a large wooden log was placed in the fireplace and at the same time three large loaves of wheat were brought to the table. The head of the family served a slice to all the diners, keeping one for the following year as a sign of continuity.
Another historical fact supports the derivation of panettone from the great Christmas wheat bread: until 1395, all bakeries in Milan were allowed to bake wheat bread only at Christmas, as a gift to their regular customers. Today, panettone is available in two formats: low and high. The first gave rise to the second, but the second indirectly evolved the first.
The panettone on Bottega di Calabria
On Bottega di Calabria we offer three variants of artisan panettone: traditional, filled with chocolate and filled with pistachio. These products are made exclusively on request.
