FYI - We typically release the once-a-year panettone for pre-order in September for delivery by Christmas. So please check back then.

It is not uncommon for certain “flavors” to sell out before Thanksgiving. Please pre-order in advance - if you change your mind that's ok, just let us know.

Panettone is a sweet, rich bread that’s wildly popular at Christmas and New Year’s in Italy - and at ChefShop.com. Traditionally from Milan, over the years, panettone has become even more popular in the southern regions of Italy than in its northern birthplace.

Italian panettone and traditional English Christmas fruitcake have little in common texture-wise – there’s really no comparison between the airy, egg-based cake-bread and the rather brick-like fruitcake – but a closer look reveals that the two really are cousins after all.

Both, of course, are traditional Christmas baked goods, and both feature candied citron, an ingredient no longer common in many other preparations, but that’s not all. Both derive from a tradition of sweetening holiday treats with nuts and candied fruit – fruit which has been effectively preserved from summer into the holiday season. And although panettone is much lighter than fruitcake, it wasn’t always that way…

Panettone as we know it today – tall and cylindrical, with a rich flavor and lighter texture – originated and gained popularity in the 1920s, but Christmas breads have a much longer history in Italy, dating back as far as Roman times. Early versions often involved regular bread dough (unlike today’s panettone, which is much richer and lighter-textured) baked together with other ingredients.

Every year we look forward to the arrival of the Panettone and all the sampling we have to have to make sure it is as good as we remember!