Like many great Panettone makers, the origins of the Flamigni Company date back to 1930, when the three Flamigni brothers opened their first operation in the main square of Forlì, Italy, in the center of the region of Romagna. Today, the Flamigni Company remains family run, with the founder’s granddaughter, Renata, running international sales and export, and her brother, Missimo, managing domestic sales.

For over seventy years, the making of the now-famous Panettone has been done in the traditional way, starting with quality ingredients, followed by the continued use of a recipe passed down through the generations, and meticulous control over the entire production process.

Now one of Italy’s top Panettone makers, their secret “sauce” has been handed down and improved over three generations.

It’s the magic combination of quality ingredients, the natural rising process, and the Flamigni mother yeast – the starter which is said to have been nurtured and guarded with loving care for over 100 years.

The mother yeast is the company jewel, and is the basis of their daily production. Every 15 days, they take the mother yeast, and add flour and water, and then let her reproduce.

The Mother is what gives Flamigni Panettone their unique flavor and characteristics. Like a fine cheese or wine or vinegar maker, it is the mother that provides that mysterious and indescribable jus ne sais quoi.

Making the perfect panettone takes over 36 hours. The process starts with preparing the dough by combining flour, butter , sugar and egg.

When ready, the dough is then mixed with candied fruit, egg yolks, raisins, and whatever else needs to be added (depending on the flavor,) and then the batter in a warm room for eight hours to rise.

Then it is kneaded into perfect balls, tops with the appropriate topping, and baked to perfection. Once baked, they are inverted and left to cool for 13 hours. This prevents the cake from collapsing.

The extraordinary softness of the Panettone Flamigni is obtained thanks to the scrupulous choice of natural ingredients of the best quality, the continuous check of temperature and humidity, the slow baking, and the cooling in the classic upside-down position. When ready, each cake is wrapped to delight even the most discriminating holiday table.

Because, when it comes to Panettone, you can’t rush perfection.