With Christmas just around the corner. Our specialty stores around Florence are packed with delicious artisanal Panettone. Italy’s classic Christmas cake. That we typically eat anytime of the year. Although you can really only find the best Panettone from the last week of November until December 23. This is when the true artisans of Panettone are baking from the 4am in the morning.

It is around this time that Baker Maurizio begins baking. After he has made his classic dough. With Flour, Yeast, Sugar and Butter

Maurizio adds Raisins and Candied Orange & Cedro (a thick skinned ancient lemon).

Once the dough is ready. The portions are weighed and are ready to be added to each Panettone Form.

After a night of leavening the Panettone are ready to be added to the oven.

Once the Panettone out of the oven. They cool upside down. That way the Form does not Sit and lose its perfect fluffy shape

Once the Panettone are cooling. Maurizio begins making his Torrone – Noughat. A typical sweet that you can find all over Italy. Although it’s origins derive from Arab cultures who bought this dessert to teh Meditteranean. It was actually Sicily with its almonds and pistachio that began this tradition. One of my favorite regions of Torrone is actually Calabria. The Calabrians make a delicious nougat with Bergamont.

Maurizio uses Hazelnuts from Piedmonte and Pistachio from Bronte.

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