Helen Rosner over at The New Yorker doesn’t mince words when describing the magnificence of Panettone Biasetto:
“This tall, golden Adonis, from the Padua kitchens of the Belgian Italian pastry chef Luigi Biasetto, has a rich citrus-and-vanilla perfume that wafts toward you the moment you unwrap its stately maroon-and-gold packaging.”
We love that intoxicating vanilla-citrus scent: it means the holiday season is officially underway. Where does that smell come from? It’s all thanks to Luigi’s raw materials. He uses the most premium ingredients in his award-winning Panettone. Think grass-fed butter from the Asiago mountains, Acacia honey from Tuscany, generous chunks of expertly candied lemon, orange, and citron, as well as raisins “so plump and juicy they’re halfway back to being grapes.” It’s no wonder this holiday bread smells so good.
Things only get better once you slice down through the golden, moist loaf. Tear off a piece of the featherlight crumb and place it on your tongue. Then, enjoy one of the holiday season’s greatest gastronomic pleasures. Just listen to how Helen describes her experience:
“The piece I tore off for myself seemed to melt a little against the ambient heat of my fingers. In my mouth, in nearly dissolved, like cotton candy.”
Luigi Biasetto accomplishes this textural triumph thanks to decades of experience and his use of inimitable ingredients. You can’t replace a nonagenarian sourdough starter! As Helen points out, panettone is “infamous among bakers as one of the most difficult recipes in the global canon.” It takes a true expert to achieve this level of panettone perfection.
The best way to eat Panettone Biasetto
There’s only a limited quantity of Panettone Biasetto available each season. So consider yourself lucky if you managed to snag one of these coveted loaves. While they’re excellent at room temperature, take a page out of Luigi’s book and try it ever so slightly warmed:
“Biasetto famously recommends that his panettone be served just above room temperature, which he suggests you achieve by resting it on the radiator for a few hours (a classic nonna move), or near (but not in!) a heated oven. He’s not wrong: that extra bit of warmth opens up the flavors and aromas, deepening the woodsiness of the vanilla and softening any lingering sharpness from the candied citrus.”
Grazie Helen for your beautiful words on our favorite Italian holiday tradition. You shed light on what authentic Panettone should taste like and helped convert the skeptics out there. Now then, who’s ready for Colomba season?
