It's panettone season. Where to get a taste of Italy in the East Bay

"The market for panettone, a sweet, domed Italian bread eaten around the holidays, is littered with mediocre options. Maybe you've had one of these more unremarkable loaves from a grocery store, leaving you with the impression that panettone is dry and fruit cake-esque. But it's time to give panettone a second chance, because the East Bay has mouthwatering options that you will not want to turn down: panettone straight from Italy or handmade and hand-flipped (to be explained) right in Berkeley."

"Unlike the common misconceptions, panettone is airy, moist, and indulgent. There are factories in Italy that specialize in producing specific ingredients for this holiday delicacy special panettone flour and candied fruit. Plus, the process of making this domed bread, when done well, requires following meticulous steps that take multiple days and close observation throughout. There are many options for finding panettone in the East Bay, with Fournee Bakery, Mariposa Baking Company, and Cafe Gran Milan among them."

"Donato & Co. executive chef, Gianluca Guglielmi, grew up in Italy in a town north of Venice, eating panettone every holiday season. His parents owned delis and would have panettone in stock, so they had the best panettone they could find at the time in order to compete with the local bakers and pastry shops in town. Every holiday season, Guglielmi's parents would take him to Milan, where they would see what the delis were selling there and try the best of the best."

Many commercial panettones are mediocre and can seem dry and fruit-cake like, but authentic panettone is airy, moist, and indulgent. Italian factories produce specialized ingredients such as panettone flour and candied fruit, and the proper baking process requires meticulous, multi-day steps and close observation. The East Bay offers multiple sources for high-quality panettone, including Fournee Bakery, Mariposa Baking Company, and Cafe Gran Milan. Two representative approaches are imported panettone (Donato & Co. imports Infermentum) and local production (Starter Bakery makes its own, using hand-flipping techniques). Donato & Co. executive chef Gianluca Guglielmi grew up eating and comparing panettone in northern Italy.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org