The History of Panettone: From Milan to the UK

Panettone is the tall, domed sweet bread that Italians eat at Christmas, and over the past twenty years it has become a regular sight on British tables too. Here is where it comes from, what Italian law says it must contain, how it found its way to the UK, and the panettoni we have in stock this year.

The big bread of Milan

Panettone comes from Milan, in Lombardy. The name explains itself: panetto means a small loaf, and the ending -one makes it large. Panettone is simply "the big bread".

Plenty of romantic stories try to explain its origin. In the best known, a kitchen boy called Toni rescues a ruined ducal banquet with a sweet loaf, which the Duke of Milan names pan del Toni. Another tells of a young nobleman who works as a baker to win the baker's daughter. They are good stories, but they are legends. Language historians trace the word straight back to panetto, and panettone most likely grew out of a long Milanese custom of baking an enriched bread for Christmas.

For centuries it was a fairly low, round loaf, baked at home or by local bakers and eaten mainly in and around Milan.

Angelo Motta, Gioacchino Alemagna and the modern panettone

In 1919 the Milanese baker Angelo Motta began producing panettone on a large scale. He also gave it the tall dome that defines it today.

Around 1925 a rival baker, Gioacchino Alemagna, launched his own version. Competition between the two pushed panettone into industrial production and spread it across Italy. After the Second World War it became affordable for most families and turned from a Milanese speciality into Italy's national Christmas cake.

Both brands still exist. After a period under Nestlé, they were bought in 2009 by Bauli, a bakery company from Verona.

What Italian law says a panettone must contain

In Italy the name panettone is protected. A ministerial decree of 22 July 2005, updated in 2017, sets out what a product sold as panettone must contain:

• butter as the only fat (milk fat, plus cocoa butter where used), at no less than 16% of the dough
• egg yolk at no less than 4%
• raisins and candied citrus peel at no less than 20% in the classic version
• natural leavening from a sourdough starter, with only a little baker's yeast allowed
• wheat flour, sugar and salt

The sourdough matters most. A good panettone is fermented slowly over a long time, which is why proper ones take days to make and why the crumb pulls apart in long, soft strands.

The rules also allow variations, from versions without fruit to filled and topped panettoni. Chocolate, pistachio cream and citrus fillings are now common in Italy.

How panettone came to the UK

Italian families brought panettone to Britain and kept the tradition going. For decades you found it mostly in Italian delis and cafés.

Things changed this century. Around 2017 Selfridges reported that panettone was outselling Christmas pudding by two to one, and Waitrose recorded strong growth year after year. One industry analysis found that panettone made up 41% of UK festive cake sales between October and December 2024, ahead of traditional Christmas cake.

The trend isn't one-way. Supermarket data shows the number of everyday supermarket panettoni sold has fallen since 2021, while premium, artisan and online sales have grown. People seem to be buying fewer but better ones, often as gifts.

Part of the appeal is lightness. After a heavy Christmas dinner, a slice of airy, buttery bread is easier going than a dense fruit cake. It is also versatile, and Brits have made it their own: toasted for breakfast, used instead of bread in bread and butter pudding, or turned into French toast once it starts to dry out.

How to serve panettone

In Italy panettone is eaten at room temperature and cut into tall wedges from the top down. Some good ways to enjoy it:

• for breakfast with a strong coffee
• warmed for a few minutes in a low oven to bring out the butter and citrus
• as dessert with mascarpone, custard or a glass of dessert wine
• toasted and buttered the next day
• in bread and butter pudding or French toast when it's past its best

Keep it sealed tightly in its bag so it doesn't dry out.

Our panettone this Christmas

We have panettone for most tables this year: classic Milanese, filled, vegan, gluten free and no added sugar. All are made in Italy.

Classic Milanese panettone

Tre Marie Traditional Milanese Panettone, 750g
A golden, airy crumb made with butter, egg yolk and natural yeast, studded with sultanas and candied orange and citron peel. Contains wheat, milk and egg.

Tre Marie Traditional Hand-Wrapped Panettone, 750g
The classic recipe, wrapped by hand in paper, which makes it a lovely present. Made with butter, free-range egg yolk, sultanas and candied citrus peel, and leavened with a sourdough starter. Contains wheat, milk and egg.

Filled panettone

Seggiano Limoncello Panettone, 500g
Handmade in small batches and naturally leavened with the baker's 40-year-old mother yeast, then given 36 hours to prove and bake. The dough is studded with candied lemon peel and filled with a limoncello marmalade made with limoncello from Amalfi lemons. Contains wheat, milk, egg, barley and alcohol.

Tre Marie Capolavoro Dark Chocolate and Cream Panettone, 830g
A buttery panettone with dark chocolate drops and a soft pastry cream filling. One for dessert. Contains wheat, milk, egg and soya.

Tre Marie Pistacchio Cream Panettone, 950g
Traditional dough with orange, filled with a smooth pistachio cream. Contains wheat, milk, egg and pistachio.

Vegan panettone

These are made without butter or eggs, using plant oils and shea butter instead, so they differ from the classic Milanese recipe. They still rely on a sourdough starter for their rise.

• Probios Organic & Vegan Traditional Panettone with Wheat, 500g: raisins and citrus, sweetened with agave syrup. Contains wheat, barley and soya.
• Probios Organic & Vegan Panettone with Raisins, 300g: a smaller size for one or two. Contains wheat, barley and soya.
• Probios Organic Chocolate Panettone with Dark Chocolate Chips, 500g: organic dark chocolate chips, with no butter or egg in the recipe. Contains wheat, barley and soya.
• Probios Organic & Vegan Spelt Panettone, 500g: made with spelt flour, raisins and orange. Contains spelt (a type of wheat) and barley.
• Probios Organic Vegan Spelt Sourdough Panettone with Raisins, 300g: the spelt recipe in a smaller size. Contains spelt and barley.
• Probios Organic Vegan Spelt Sourdough Panettone with Chocolate, 300g: spelt sourdough with chocolate. Contains spelt and barley.
• Go Vegan Organic Vegan Panettone with Spelt, 500g: spelt flour, sultanas, vanilla and citrus, sweetened with agave syrup. Contains spelt, barley and soya.
• Artysan by Organico Organic Vegan Panettone, 500g: sultanas and candied orange peel, free from soya and palm oil. Contains wheat and barley.

Gluten-free panettone

Artysan by Organico Organic Gluten Free Panettone, 500g
Baked by a family bakery in the Veneto with eggs, butter, honey, sultanas and candied orange peel, using rice flour and potato starch instead of wheat. Contains egg and milk.

No added sugar

Probios Organic Panettone with No Added Sugar, 500g
Made with butter, eggs and raisins and sweetened with erythritol instead of sugar. The raisins still contain natural sugars. Contains wheat, milk and egg.

Always read the label on the pack you receive for full ingredients and allergen advice. You can browse the rest of our festive range in the Christmas collection.

Panettone questions

What is the difference between panettone and pandoro?

Both are Italian Christmas breads. Panettone comes from Milan and contains raisins and candied peel. Pandoro comes from Verona, is star-shaped and has no fruit.

How long does panettone keep?

Check the best-before date on the pack. Once opened, keep it tightly sealed in its bag to stop it drying out, and use any stale slices for French toast or bread and butter pudding.

Is panettone vegan?

Traditional panettone is not vegan, because it contains butter and egg yolk. We stock several vegan panettoni from Probios, Go Vegan and Artysan by Organico, made with plant oils instead.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Panettone
• Italianfood.net: the 2005 ministerial decree on panettone
• Il Fatto Alimentare: decree of 22 July 2005 as amended on 16 May 2017
• Food & Drink Technology: continental bakes steal the show
• British Baker: supermarket panettone sales halved since 2021
• The Sunday Telegraph: six of the best panettone