As Christmas 2025 approaches, the hunt for the perfect panettone becomes hotter than ever. This year Gambero Rosso has decided to shine the spotlight on emerging yeast producers, going beyond historical names and giving space to new realities capable of surprising.
This time the selection went beyond the confines of traditional pastry making, involving bakers, pizza makers and ice cream makers, the latter increasingly protagonists in the panorama of great Italian leavened products. Among them, both artisans established in recent years and young interpreters of generational changes in historic venues, represent the new generation of Italian leavening masters.
The selection was born from a blind tasting of 43 artisanal panettoni, evaluated by an excellent panel made up of starred chefs, pastry chefs, professional tasters and the Gambero Rosso editorial staff, to identify the most surprising leavened products worthy of being enjoyed during the holidays.
The experts evaluated every aspect of the panettone: the alveolation and development of the dough, the quality of the inert ingredients (candied fruit and raisins), the aromatic profile on the nose and palate, the balance between sweetness and fat, the texture and melting in the mouth. A complete analysis that allowed us to identify the 18 best artisanal panettone, of which we present the top 10 classified, with their distinctive characteristics.
The best 10 emerging artisanal panettones
1) Makí (Fano)
The podium goes to the ice cream makers Antonio and Paola Luzi, confirming that the future of the Italian leavening movement also passes through this category. Their short panettone, unfrosted and with amber tones, is captivating with its lush holes which incorporate a lot of Bourbon vanilla and consistent candied oranges. The taste-olfactory panorama ranges from the freshness of lactic and buttery hints to fruity aromas that give complexity to the palate. The structure is impeccable: it spins perfectly and maintains the right balance of humidity. 800 g – €32
2) Artelié (Villafranca Padovana)
Stefano De Cia offers a panettone with genuine workmanship and a rustic appearance, cooked in a wood-fired oven which gives it a characteristic dark colour. Of the low Piedmontese type with scarp and without icing, it stands out for its aromatic score that combines notes of honey, pastry and sweet cooked flours with fruity references. The ingredients are excellent: Australian raisins soaked in Marsala and home-candied orange and diamond citron cubes. 1 kg – €38
3) Maison Petronella (Altamura)
Two homonymous cousins, both called Domenico Petronella, conquer the podium with an unglazed galup with an eloquent aromatic bouquet. The scent of butter, milk, cooked flours, citrus fruits and vanilla immediately conquers, finding full correspondence on the palate without losing cleanliness and elegance. The yellow shirt features an elongated honeycomb with candied orange and Australian 6 Crowns raisins. The texture is very moist, soft and soluble. 1 kg – €38
4) Madamadorè (San Pietro in Cariano)
Vanna Scattolini’s story inspires: after 24 years in public administration, she left her permanent job to dedicate herself to pastry making. With the sourdough received as a gift from master Rolando Morandin, he creates a Milanese panettone without icing with a slender chestnut-colored body. The bright yellow slice shows off a nice regular honeycomb structure with persuasive lactic notes that coexist with citrus fruits and Bourbon vanilla. The pasta strings together and melts perfectly. 1 kg – €38
5) Maison Antonella 1986 (Alessandria)
Alessio Alloisio, pupil of maestro Stefano Laghi and now head pastry chef of the maison, presents a low-type leavened product with homogeneous icing. The energetic yellow crumb is well honeycombed and dotted with vanilla, with a vital aromatic range between citrus, vanilla, buttery and almond notes. The candied orange and citron peels are fragrant and full-bodied. The structure is soft, flaky, airy and soluble, the result of 48 hours of leavening. 1kg – €42
6) Raro Cremeria (Soncino)
The eclectic Cremonese dessert features a galup crowned with thin almond icing. The mixture hides an exuberant and wild honeycomb structure with some dilated holes. Olfactory notes of milk, butter and toasting emerge from the slice, with hints of white chocolate. The sugar residue is gentle and the fat management is balanced. The crumb flakes sufficiently and dissolves easily on the palate. 750 g – €30
7) Il Forno Grani & Other Visions (Macerata Campania)
Luigi Vetrella elaborates a traditional galup obtained from triple refreshing of the mother yeast. The paste displays a strong yellow with regular holes, enriched with precious Tahitian vanilla. The aromatic framework revolves around the vanilla universe, with candied orange peel and cedar of above average quality. The texture is the specialty: soft to the touch and chewing, with the ability to melt on the palate with ease. 1 kg – €39
8) Cappiello (Santa Maria Capua Vetere)
Alessandro Cappiello, born in 1998, carries on the tradition of brothers Luigi and Michele with a tall, unfrosted Milanese-style panettone. It stands out for its golden-hued livery and graceful development. It exudes valuable lactic notes combined with citrus ones, with lemon zest in the recipe. When tasted, the butter and the orange and citron peels candied on site stand out. It is streamlined and elastic to the touch. 1 kg – €40
9) Maicol (Turin)
Maicol Vitellozzi and Francesca Corbo, known for their signature croissants, also demonstrate their skills in large leavened products. The uncovered galup has moderate leavening and a pale yellow crumb with vanilla from Madagascar and Tahiti. The aroma accompanies with variable intensity, crossing with citrus nuances, riding the buttery and sugary level without heaviness. Dehydrated grapes are convincing. 750 g – €40
10) Antoniazzi (Bagnolo San Vito)
Nicolò Antoniazzi, son of one of the most important Italian pastry families, offers a panettone without icing, the result of over 20 hours of leavening and 36 of processing. The dough expresses a spontaneous mixed honeycomb structure with a balanced proportion of candied fruit and Bourbon vanilla. On the nose it releases toasted notes compared to fruity or lactic ones. It is a traditional interpretation of Christmas, with large, fragrant and succulent raisins. 1kg – €49
To learn more about all 18 panettone selections, refer to the Gambero Rosso website.
