Our choice for the panettone! From Aldi to Dolce & Gabbana, the big brands have all bought into the Italian festive treat that is outselling Christmas cake. ANNE SHOOTER did the ultimate taste test…

A few years ago, most people didn’t know what a panettone was — let alone see it as an essential part of their Christmas celebration.

But such is the meteoric rise of the Italian sweet bread: panettone outsells Christmas cakes at Waitrose this year and sells for three times more than Christmas puddings at Selfridges.

The history of the domed treat is disputed. One theory is that it dates back to the 15th century, when the Duke of Milan hosted a Christmas banquet. The chef burned the dessert, but a young baker named Toni used whatever leftover ingredients he could find to make a rich, fruit-studded brioche instead.

When the Duke asked what it was called, the chef said it was Toni’s bread – ‘pane di Toni’ in Italian – and panettone was born.

In another story, a Milanese baker is credited with conjuring up the very first vanilla-scented, buttery bread to win over a beautiful woman who walked past his bakery every day.

Whatever its origins, there’s certainly plenty of panettone to choose from this year, but which should you pick from the dazzling array available?

A good indication is that it’s made in Italy using a sourdough starter (natural yeast), which means it’s risen slowly, giving it that beautiful pull-apart texture. Then you want eggs, butter – and you also choose whatever flavor, filling and packaging you want!

Here, food writer ANNE SHOOTER selects 15 of the best for every taste.

BEST BUDGET BUYS

Aldi specially selected classic panettone, £3.49

This is an astonishingly good price for something so authentic: it’s made in Italy with sourdough culture and candied orange peel and is moist and soft, with good chew. A little on the sweet side for me, but overall a great purchase.

BEST FOR AFICIONADOS

Souschef Panettone Tradizionale, £24.99, souschef.co.uk

Made to perfection in the Milanese tradition by a baker’s family in Northern Italy: simple, unglazed and stylish. At its core is a closely guarded 100-year-old ‘mother yeast’ – meaning the original sourdough culture began a century ago – and with the finest butter, citrus fruits and Madagascan vanilla. it’s totally classic – and absolutely delicious.

BEST GIFT

Fortnum and Mason Limoncello Panettone, £44.95, fortnumandmason.com

Nothing says ‘thanks for having me’ at Christmas like a present from Fortnum’s and this limoncello panettone is a real showstopper of a gift. With a yellow hue and the strong taste of Amalfi lemons, it is somehow refreshing and indulgent at the same time.

BEST FOR CHILDREN

Nomma Indulgent Chocolate Chip, £6, Tesco, tesco.com

Most children are not fond of candied peels and raisins. But I challenge you to find me a youngster who wouldn’t like this panettone with chocolate chips. It’s basically a huge chocolate muffin – made like an authentic panettone, in Italy, with a sourdough starter. Also perfect for adults with an espresso.

BEST FOR A PARTY

Lidl Deluxe Champagne Panettone, £8.99

Lidl’s panettone is excellent – really authentic, not overly sweet and brilliant value. This is my favorite from the range. It’s packed with raisins that have been soaked in champagne, which makes for a really festive, boozy mouthful and will have you craving a glass of bubbly!

BEST FOR FASHIONISTS

Dolce and Gabbana panettone with saffron £60, souschef.co.uk

Wow! This beautiful tin is certainly not just for Christmas. It’s so beautiful that it would be easy not to worry too much about what’s inside! But the cake itself is exactly what an Italian designer panettone should be. Light, airy and not overly sweet, thanks to the delicate, heady scent of saffron and wonderfully tart hints of bitter citrus.

MOST ORIGINAL

Waitrose Florentine Panettone, £16, waitrose.com

This is definitely different – in a good way. It’s packed with cherries, orange peels, raisins, nuts, chocolate and caramel sauce. It’s more like a cake than a traditional panettone – there’s no sourdough starter and the texture is softer – but it’s delicious.

BEST FOR CHOCOHOLICS

M&S Triple Chocolate Panettone £12, ocado.co.uk

If you like chocolate you will love this. It is made by one of the most famous panettone baking families in Italy, the Di Gennaros, and is based on a traditional recipe that has been passed down for generations and adapted by removing the fruit and replacing it with chocolate sauce and dark, white and milk chocolate. potato chips.

BEST FOR VEGANS

H&B Panettone, £18, hollandandbarrett.com

Made near Venice, this egg-free, dairy-free panettone is moist, packed with cranberries, raisins and orange peels, and not too sweet. It is much darker in color than most panettones and tastes a bit like a hot cross bun because it is made with brown sugar. Perfect for tearing apart and dunking in a cup of tea!

BEST FOR COELIACS

Waitrose free from gluten-free panettone, £2.99, waitrose.com

My heart goes out to anyone who can’t eat gluten at Christmas, with so many flour-filled treats, but thank goodness for this cute little gluten-free panettone. To be honest, it doesn’t have the texture of a ‘normal’ panettone, but it does have the flavors – and that makes it a really good way to make sure no one misses out.

BEST FOR CHRISTMAS DAY BREAKFAST

Selfridges Salted Caramel Panettone, £29.99. Selfridges.com

Let the cappucinos brew for this! It is authentic – made from a mother dough that has been in the renowned Scarpato bakery in Verona since 1888 – and yet completely different, without a sultana in sight. Studded with salted caramel cubes, it’s absolutely divine.

BEST IF YOU DON’T LIKE PANETTONE!

Tesco Finest Tiramisu Panettone, £12, tesco.com

Take out all the fruit and replace it with mascarpone, coffee and dark chocolate and you have a tiramisu wrapped in a sweet dough – not quite a panettone! Definitely a talking point and a joyful treat for the dried fruit haters.

MOST STYLISH

Muzzi Tommaso Pistachio Panettone, £21.90, eataly.co.uk

This looks like a present under the tree, with its beautiful, retro packaging – one of the trademarks of Muzzi Tommaso’s beautiful panettones. This is absolutely delicious, filled with a cream made from Bronte pistachios, harvested on the slopes of Etna and known as green gold.

BEST FOR FOODIES

Loison Mandarino Panettone £27, ocado.co.uk

Such beautiful wrapping paper, so authentic, so filled with delicious mandarin peels and fat raisins and Madagascar vanilla, and not too sweet due to 72 hours of proofing with slightly sour natural yeast starter. Should I continue? Swoon…

BEST CROWD FUN

Sainsbury’s dark chocolate and orange panettone, £16.50, sainsburys.co.uk

Chocolate, orange and ginger are a winning combination in this beautifully spiced, warming, Tuscan panettone, beautiful in its beautiful look. Brilliant value, absolutely delicious – and not a raisin in sight!