Bread, but not simple: interesting facts about panettone

The variety of Christmas desserts dizzies those with a sweet tooth and completely confuses those who have never delved into the intricacies of preparing delicacies that came to us from different countries. Panettone is a traditional Italian dessert. This is a rich pie with dried fruits and candied fruits, baked especially for Christmas. Shall we get to know him better?

Interesting facts about panettone

▪︎ The dessert got its name thanks to the 15th century legend about the Italian baker Tony. He had a daughter with whom the aristocrat fell in love. He wanted to work as an assistant at the Tone bakery in order to be closer to the object of his tender feelings. One day, an aristocrat baked a kind of pie, which he called pain di Toni - “Tony’s bread”;

▪︎ Panettone is often confused with another similar dessert - pandoro. However, it has differences both in the recipe (dried fruits are not added) and in appearance (it is baked in the shape of a star, while panettone resembles a cupcake in shape);

▪︎ Panettone dough takes 48 hours to prepare. The starter for the dough should be left to steep for 40 hours, then the baked goods are given shape, then the process of cooling, baking... This is not an easy job;

▪︎ There is an interesting tradition associated with eating this unusual dish: on the eve of the holiday, the head of the family must hide a coin in the pie. The one in whose piece there is a coin will be happy throughout the year;

▪︎ In Milan, too, there is a tradition that obliges you to keep this delicacy (about half of it) until February 3, the day of honoring Saint Biagio. And on this day, all household members should eat a piece of panettone, certainly on an empty stomach. This is considered a good protection against diseases accompanied by sore throat, because Saint Biagio is the patron saint of the throat and vocal cords...

▪︎ If you are tired of eating panettone in its pure form, you can make sandwiches, which are very popular in Milan: put ham, pickles, cheese on pieces of panettone, like on bread, ... - whatever you like. In Italy, such sandwiches are eaten with spicy brisket;

▪︎ Panettone should be eaten with your hands. And only if you serve this dessert with cream (as a rule, it is prepared on the basis of mascarpone cheese), you must use a dessert fork and spoon. Use a fork to hold a slice of the pastry, and use a spoon to break off small pieces of it and dip them into the cream.