Flavors · Milan

Panettone

Tall, cylindrical sweet bread made from slowly fermented dough with butter, eggs, raisins and candied fruit. It is Milan’s Christmas sweet, surrounded by legends about its origin.

Traditional sweet from Milan, Lombardia

Also known as: panetùn, panettone milanese

Updated November 2026

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Panettone — Milan, Italy

Traditional panettone is made with flour, butter, eggs, sugar, raisins and candied orange and citron peel. The dough is fermented with natural leaven in multiple stages that take more than a day. Baked in a paper mold, it rises into a dome. After coming out of the oven it is turned upside down to cool, which prevents the dough from collapsing.

Its origin is told through legends. One, set in the Sforza court in the 15th century, speaks of a kitchen assistant named Toni who is said to have saved the Christmas dessert with an enriched bread, the pan del Toni. Another tells of a nobleman in love with a baker’s daughter. None are documented, but all place the sweet in Milan.

In the 20th century, industrial production took panettone across Italy and to other countries, and it became the quintessential Italian Christmas sweet. In Milan, pastry shops still make it by hand.

A Milanese custom calls for keeping a slice from Christmas to eat on February 3, the day of Saint Blaise, protector of the throat.

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Where it comes from

Milan , Lombardia
Christmas sweet linked to Milanese tradition, mentioned by Lombardy tourism among dishes recognized by the municipality.

Ingredients

Flour, natural leaven, butter, eggs, sugar, raisins and candied orange and citron peel.

How it is eaten

In slices, at room temperature or slightly warmed, with coffee, sweet wine or sparkling wine; sometimes with cream.

When it is eaten

Christmas and New Year’s; by Milanese tradition, a slice kept from Christmas is eaten on Saint Blaise’s Day, February 3.

Your questions

Questions about Panettone

Was panettone born in Milan?

The legends about its origin place the sweet in Milan, and it is the Christmas sweet associated with the city’s tradition, although none of the stories are documented.

Why do Milanese people keep a slice of panettone?

By custom, a slice from Christmas is eaten on February 3, the day of Saint Blaise, protector of the throat.

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