You know Christmas is approaching when panettone appears on the shelves. Growing up in an Italian household, we always had one stuffed in the pantry for unexpected guests – and you could count on being gifted (or regifted) a box every year without fail. It's a polarising dessert. The style you get in standard supermarkets and delicatessens can be dense, dry, yoghurty, filled with saccharine dried fruit and stodgy custard. Then you have a good one, and it alters your opinion on the Milanese brioche entirely.
A good panettone is fluffy and moist inside with a sticky protruding macaronade crust. Some are flecked with nuts or orange peel, and when they begin to go stale, make the best French toast or bread and butter pudding. Lucky for us, the tides are turning and alongside the towers of imported preservative-packed panettones, an offering of locally-made artisan options can be found.
These are the ones we like to eat. Below, a round up of panettone that could sway even the staunchest of opposers.
SONOMA Bakery
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Want a twist on the classic? Look no further. Sonoma Bakery have dreamed up a delicious version that champions a soft, buttery dough, studded with golden Callebaut caramel chocolate, toasted hazelnuts and French salted caramel that melts into the crumb, with a nutty hazelnut and sugar crust. Polish yours off before New Year's Day.
PIOIK BAKERY Panettone
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Pioik Bakery's annual panettone is a labour of love that takes its head baker, Shady Wasef, at least 36 hours to bring to fruition. Wasef studied the technique – which involves hanging the sweet loaf suspended upside-down – from Italian baker Mauro Scaglia. Made from free-range eggs, butter, candied orange peel and raisins, it's a knockout.
SIMON JOHNSON Classic Panettone
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Simon Johnson's hefty 1kg pannetone is about as classic as they come. It's made from a 80-year-old mother yeast, so you know it's serious business, and comes packed with rich dried fruit and spices. The pretty box packaging makes it an ideal gift too.
BAKER BLEU Chocolate and Sour Cherry Pannetone
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We love everything Baker Bleu makes, so why would their panettone be any different? Our personal favourite is their chocolate and sour cherry creation, which is a little more decadent, but there's also a classic version for the traditionalists amongst us.
RIVERINO Gelato and Gianduia Panettone
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Chances are you were going to eat it with ice cream anyway, so why not combine the two? Local gelato shop Riverino is taking pre-orders for its famous gelato-injected gianduia-topped panettone. Pick from flavours like ricotta and fig, hazelnut, coffee and more.
AP Bakery Panettone
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Another smash hit from AP Bakery. This year's creation comes with Caramelised chocolate, candied lemon, poppy seed. It's made in limited batches, so you'll want to move fast.
Norma's Deli Panettone
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One for our friends in the north. This OG panettone is lovingly baked over 72 hours, using the best quality ingredients. Trust us, it's good, but there's also a triple chocolate and hazelnut version if that's more your speed.
Icebergs X Mandolé Orchard Panettone 2025 by Sonoma Bakery
This iconic collaboration is back for another year, combining whole Mandolé Orchard almonds, caramel chocolate, salted caramel and a touch of Amaretto, finished with a crust of crushed Amaretti biscuits and salted almonds for texture. You can also pick one up in person, at Icebergs Dining Room and Bar from 13 December.
