Where to Buy Authentic Panettone in Rome

It goes without saying that Rome takes Christmas seriously — Vatican City is home to the pope, after all. Every year, starting in November, the Eternal City begins gearing up for the holiday season, with twinkling lights illuminating the cobblestone streets, Christmas markets selling ornaments and gifts, and panettone — the big domed Christmas cake — appearing on shelves in supermarkets, bakeries, and gourmet food stores.

According to legend, panettone was invented on Christmas Eve in 1495 at the royal court of Ludovico il Moro in Milan when the dessert burned and the head chef was left scrambling. His young assistant Toni hastily made some dough sweetened with eggs and sultanas and enriched with butter and egg yolks. Afterwards, word of the delicious dessert spread and people started calling it pan de Toni (Toni’s bread).

Perhaps more plausible is the theory that the word panettone derives from affixing the suffix -one (denoting something large) to the word pane (bread), essentially meaning “large bread.” The typical panettone weighs around a kilo (2.2 pounds), has a soft brioche-like texture, and is studded with raisins and candied orange peel. The challenge comes from the long, double leavening process, kickstarted by a stiff sourdough starter called “lievito madre.” After proofing and baking, the panettone gets hung upside down for eight to 12 hours to prevent it from collapsing under its own weight.

And though the Milanese might contend that their panettone is the best, bakers all over Italy have taken up the challenge — for it is a notoriously difficult product to make — and even compete for the title of best panettone at events like the Coppa del Mondo del Panettone and the expo Panettone Maximo, which takes place in Rome every year. Since moving to the Eternal City in 2019, I’ve made it my mission to try as many of them as possible. These are my favorites.