Meet the family-run Italian bakery behind Lidl’s luxury panettone

Authentically Italian ingredients, 11-hour starter doughs and 100 years of baking secrets all go into the delectable Lidl Deluxe Panettone Classico

Christmas is the most wonderful time of year for enjoying family favourites together. There are so many festive treats to look forward to, but they don’t come much more special than a classic Italian panettone.

From its cloud-like texture to the gently warming, sweet flavours of citrus, spices and juicy currants, a panettone is a true culinary delight that’s made to be pulled apart and shared. It’s one of the most versatile, too – you can enjoy it on its own with a cup of coffee, toasted with a little butter and jam or even soaked in boozy custard for the ultimate bread and butter pudding.

Lidl knows all about the joys of a magical Christmas with family, which is why it sources its Deluxe Panettone Classico from a family-owned Italian bakery with more than a century of heritage. So, when you buy Lidl’s panettone, you can be sure you’re getting the same traditional recipe that’s enjoyed across Italy, from the peaks of the Alps to the heel of the boot. In fact, it’s so good that it comes with a Good Housekeeping Institute seal of approval.

Cosma, one of the bakers, shares what goes into creating one of the country’s most iconic festive exports. Read on to discover all...

“We have a 24/7 process of people taking care of it”

Panettone has a unique texture – somewhere between a cake and bread, but lighter and airier. So how do they do it? “The secret is first of all our natural yeast,” Cosma explains. “It all begins with the starter dough, which is left to rest until it becomes what we call the nucleus. The secret is in respecting what is a natural time for the dough to grow. Depending on the type of product, the longest dough proof can take up to 11 hours. At a controlled temperature, you have to let it rest and grow. It's like a baby – you can never leave it alone! We have a 24/7 process of people taking care of it.”

But the dough is just the beginning. Each stage is executed with ultimate precision. “There are three different steps,” says Cosma. “The first is where we put ingredients together, which in the case of the panettone, can include raisins.

“Then there is the cooking stage, which is very important because it's a very delicate process, and we have to manage the temperature and the timing carefully. And then when the product comes out of the oven, we put it in our fancy packaging. But the real secret of the greatness of our products is the care we take with the ingredients initially, and how we blend them to create this secret recipe.”

“It’s something so traditional”

Italy is steeped in closely guarded family recipes, and this panettone one is no different, as Cosma explains: “We trace our history to the very the beginning of last century, in the northern part of Italy. Our founder started pursuing his lifelong passion for baking in a small family-run bakery, where he learned the techniques and the secrets of traditional Italian baking. The panettone recipe we use today is still the original, iconic one: butter, sugar, eggs, sweet raisins and orange peels – mostly Italian ingredients.”

And whether they prefer panettone or pandoro, one thing Italians all agree on is their importance to almost every mealtime at this time of year. “Italy is split in two, because we have half who prefer panettone and the other half loves pandoro,” Cosma says. “Pandoro is more simple in terms of recipes because there is no orange peels or raisins, and every single Pandoro is growing inside its own mould.”

“You're supposed to eat panettone at Christmas Eve,” he says. “But what really happens is you eat it throughout the Christmas period. And you eat it all day from breakfast and snacks to lunch and dinner. It’s such a part of our childhood and it's something so traditional, linked to family values of spending time together, especially on Christmas Eve. It has lots of personal feelings and memories for me, but I think it's pretty much the same for many Italians.”

The bakery’s relationship with Lidl is 20 years’ strong, and the Deluxe Panettone Classico is as popular as ever. “We’re so proud of it,” says Cosma. “It’s an ambitious goal, but I think one day it could even challenge the traditional British Christmas pudding!”

Whether it’s the classico version or one with a chocolate-covered twist, panettone is an enduringly popular gift for dinner guests to bring their hosts in Italy, so if you’re looking for the perfect showstopper to gift this festive season, Lidl’s got you covered. Of course, you may struggle to part with it, but that’s a whole other matter!

Take your pick

From a traditional pandoro which you can top with mascarpone cream and fruit, or some tempting little twists on the traditional panettone, Lidl’s got you spoilt for choice this Christmas. Which one will take your fancy?

From left to right: Lidl Deluxe Panettone with candied orange peel and chocolate drops | Lidl Deluxe Champagne Panettone | Lidl Deluxe Pandoro Classico | Lidl Deluxe Pannettone con crema al pistachio | Lidl Deluxe Panettone Classico

Have some Lidl Deluxe Panettone Classico leftover? Try using it in this irresistible festive toastie recipe

Discover the Lidl Deluxe Panettone Classico in your local Lidl store