Panettone, its history and our good addresses

In gastronomy, there are many legends - always unverifiable - that attribute great creations to initial blunders, from tarte tatin to Sauternes. Panettone, Milan's sweet treasure, is part of this amusing tradition: the Duke of Milan's cook once forgot the dessert in the oven. The cake, charred, was unpresentable, and Toni, a young kitchen boy, tried to make up for it by enriching a bread dough with eggs, fat and dried fruit. This "Toni bread" or "pan di Toni", a true revelation, is said to have given birth to the "panettone". True historians trace it back to the early 17ᵉ century, in a flat, yeast-free form, while its modern form is said to have originated in the 1920s, inspired by an Orthodox Easter cake.

A holiday dessert in Italy, and a cousin of the brioche with its moist dough, even though specialists often prefer to think of it as a cake, the panache is also a dessert.panettone is riding a remarkable wave of popularity outside Italy - it's beginning to sprout up all over France. A true baker's delicacy, with a reputation for technical skill - our craftsmen often go on long training courses on the other side of the Alps - it also demands real patience. It takes at least 72 hours to produce: "We try to develop as many ferments as possible, which must tend towards sweetness," stresses Gauthier Denis, head baker who teaches at the Lenôtre school. This allows the panettone to develop its distinctive aromas, its stringy texture and, above all, its long shelf life, up to more than a month."It's the slow fermentation and delicate kneading that perfect its texture and taste, and, of course, the butter, eggs and candied fruit that enrich the dough. The most gourmet versions top it with a mixture of egg white, sugar and almond called macaronade, which crusts and lightly sugars it.

Christophe Louie, Paris

He is undeniably the king of panettone in France, and it's the star product of his young boutique in the northern Marais district of Paris. Trained in Italy by maestro Mauro Morandin, he even brought back the sourdough he still cultivates today - nicknamed "Mauro", of course. In summer, he even offers an ice cream topped with pieces of panettone. Keep an eye out for his regular collaborations: a coffee version with the venerable Maison Verlet and even a savory version with green yuzu and nori seaweed with caviar temple Petrossian.

• 12 Rue Dupetit-Thouars, 75003 Paris
• www.chri stophelouie.com

Salomé Rateau

Brigat, Paris

The cheeky transalpine brothers Lucio and Thomas have chosen the heart of Paris - just off the Place des Vosges - to show the French what Italian sweet tooths have up their sleeves. While their patisserie is rarely overtly Italophile, they do allow themselves a few more classic homages, and their panettone is a model of its kind, with a crumb that is both dense and airy, stringy, greedy and, above all, not dry.

• 6 rue du Pas de la Mule, 75003 Paris
• See Brigat

Mauro Colagreco's Mitron Bakery, Menton

While the Argentine chef is best known for his already legendary cuisine at Le Mirazur in Menton, he has been developing his former bakery Mitron Bakery at breakneck speed since 2020 - not only in Menton, of course, but also in Nice and Monaco. The pretty boxes, illustrated by Niçoise artist Marion Butet, conceal three moist panettones, in the traditional version, but also with IGP Menton lemon or chocolate chips.

• 8 rue Piéta, Menton
• Mitronbakery.com

Ferments Bakery, Marseille

In the heart of Marseille, Guillaume Tetu and Mati Touis have opened one of the most modern bakeries on the coast. And they're passionate about panettone: in addition to the classic or a double chocolate version, they've developed a signature panettone with roasted pumpkin purée, chocolate and maple syrup. And other variations are still in the pipeline, so stay on high alert.

• 95 rue de Lodi, 13006 Marseille
• https://www.instagram.com/fermentsbakery/

Fabrice Richard, in Concarneau

In winter, the artisan baker enriches his shop window with panettones. "I fell in love with this dough and its complexity. This cake requires very rigorous work, especially for fermentation. Whereas a brioche is made with yeast and keeps for two or three days, panettone is 100% sourdough and has a much longer natural shelf life."Let's go and discover the cranberry, vanilla, caramelized hazelnut and white chocolate chip version, whose cocoa butter enriches the dough.

• 20, rue Lucien-Vidie, 29900 Concarneau
• Fabrice Richard's Instagram page

A panettone log?

What if panettone managed to slip into all our holiday desserts? Marion Goettlé, the chef-owner of Café Mirabelle, in the heart of Paris's 11ᵉ arrondissement, pays as much tribute to her Alsatian roots as to her love of Italy. For the holidays, she's making a panettone Yule log: on a panettone base, she slips an almond crumble, citrus marmalade and, above all, a delicious panettone-infused mousse!

• 16 rue de la Vacquerie, 75011 Paris
• See the detail for Café Mirabelle