It’s hard to tell if you’re in the presence of a great panettone until you cut into it. (And if you don’t believe there’s such a thing as great panettone, read on.)
Inside, a great panettone has a creamy yellow crumb, scented with citrus and rich enough to leave your fingers lightly buttered when you take a bite. Here are ways to increase the chances of finding a good one.
Some top bakeries in the United States make traditional panettone each year at Christmas, though quantities are limited: Cossettas in Minneapolis, Emporio Rulli in Larkspur, California, Settepani and Sullivan Street Bakery in New York City, and Bread & Salt in Jersey City, NJ The From Roy bakery in San Francisco produces panettone year-round.
Further, the rule of thumb for buying panettone is the same as buying most packaged foods: the fewer ingredients, the better.
By Italian law, a classic fruit panettone labeled “Made in Italy” must contain flour, sugar, eggs (and extra egg yolks), a high content of butter and candied citrus fruits. But it may also contain ingredients such as cocoa butter, milk, malt syrup, “natural flavors” and certain emulsifiers, stabilizers and preservatives. The less of that, the better your panettone is likely to be.
For panettone imported from Italy, good online sources are Goldbelly, Eataly, and Gustiamo; Amazon also offers many options.
Panettone made elsewhere, such as Bauducco from Brazil or D’Onofrio from Peru (with candied papaya), is not covered by Italian law. Chocolate panettone is also a (delicious) free-for-all.
Panettone can be cut into wedges like a cake, or cut in half from top to bottom and then evenly sliced. Even without preservatives, naturally leavened panettone, packaged properly, will keep for a full month. Sliced panettone can be packaged and frozen. And stale panettone makes fantastic bread pudding and French toast.