The best artisanal pandoro of the year
The authentic taste of the festive season in master pastry creations
Christmas is approaching, bringing back the traditions that make this time of year so special. Some recipes can only truly be enjoyed during the festive season, especially rich bakes made for dipping into a morning cappuccino. Foremost among them is pandoro – one of the cornerstones of Italian festive tradition – a Veronese specialty whose golden colour reflects its generous butter content and delicate vanilla notes.
Like all traditions, pandoro has embraced modern twists in recent years. Master pastry chefs have elevated the classic bake into a genuine culinary art form – from Olivieri 1882 infusing their dough with Grappa Nardini, to blends of regional baking styles that highlight the best of Italian craftsmanship. Flawless has rounded up the best artisanal pandoro of the year to treat yourself and your guests this holiday season.
Pandoro Olivieri 1882 with Grappa Nardini
Olivieri 1882 is a benchmark for Italian holiday baking, consistently recognised among the country’s finest by Gambero Rosso. As light and airy as a cloud, their pandoro is distinguished by a four-day artisanal proving method and meticulously sourced ingredients, including Bourbon vanilla beans from Tahiti. This year, it is scented with the floral and fruity notes of Grappa Nardini, Italy’s oldest distillery and a global standard since 1779. The packaging features geometric motifs honouring the famous bridge in Bassano, making it an exquisite showstopper from two Italian masters.
Antica Pasticceria Muzzi
Pandoro crema tiramisù e gocce di cioccolato
Since 1795, Antica Pasticceria Muzzi has delighted pastry lovers with refined creations where culinary craft meets visual elegance, drawing on top-tier ingredients and decades of expertise. Their holiday collections arrive in distinctive packaging, from classic to animalier prints, housing inventive flavour pairings. A standout is the Pandoro Crema Tiramisù e Gocce di Cioccolato, filled with luscious tiramisù cream and studded with crunchy chocolate drops. Made exclusively with their 80-year-old mother yeast, the dough achieves extraordinary softness and fragrance.
Pandoro Claudio Sadler
Michelin-starred chef Claudio Sadler, a leading figure on the Milanese dining scene with his flagship restaurant and bistro Chic’n Quick, has chosen to focus on classic perfection this year rather than elaborate reinterpretations, staying true to authentic festive tradition. The light, pillow-soft crumb relies on exceptional ingredients, including free-range eggs, Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar and acacia honey for subtle floral sweetness. The chef suggests pairing each slice with a rich zabaione or warm chocolate cream for an unforgettable Christmas dessert.
Loison Pasticceri dal 1938
Pandoro al caramello salato
Every Christmas, pasticceria Loison crafts a range of festive bakes using prime ingredients such as Mananara vanilla from Madagascar, fresh free-range eggs, and alpine butter and cream. Drawing on baking know-how dating back to 1938, their collection pairs exquisite flavours with stylish packaging that makes an elegant gift. One of the top picks this season is the Pandoro al Caramello Salato, where smooth salted caramel cream balances sweet and savoury notes inside an ethereal, melt-in-the-mouth dough.
Pasticceria Dolce Locanda
Bovolone
Two-Michelin-starred chef Giancarlo Perbellini runs Pasticceria Dolce Locanda, producing seasonal bakes so delicious you wish they were available all year round. Among them is the Bovolone, named after the chef’s hometown. A close cousin of the pandoro, it skips the classic eight-pointed star shape for a flatter silhouette, with a higher proportion of butter that makes the crumb even softer. A topping of crisp almonds adds satisfying texture, turning a classic holiday bake into a true showpiece.
Di Stefano dal 1986
Pandoro siciliano
The airy lightness of classic pandoro meets Sicilian flair at Pasticceria Di Stefano in the province of Agrigento. Since 1986, the bakery has crafted traditional Italian bakes with a sun-drenched regional twist. That ethos shines through in their Pandoro Siciliano, celebrating local ingredients to reinvent the classic bake from Verona. Instead of traditional icing sugar, it comes with a dusting of fine Sicilian cocoa powder, giving this festive icon a richer, deeper profile.
Angelo Grippa
Pandoro sfogliato
Technical precision meets culinary creativity at Angelo Grippa’s award-winning pastry shop in Eboli. His festive range relies entirely on natural sourdough starter, requiring long proving times to create light, easily digestible bakes that preserve pure flavours. His Pandoro Sfogliato incorporates the lamination technique of a French croissant, yielding an innovative, flaky texture rarely seen in Italian pastry. The crumb is exceptionally light, melting in the mouth thanks to generous butter layering.
Farmacia del Cambio
Giandoro
Regional traditions often come together through the imagination of talented chefs. Such is the story behind Giandoro, created by Farmacia Del Cambio pastry chef Maicol Vitellozzi alongside Del Cambio executive chef Matteo Baronetto. In shape, this striking bake honours the iconic Piedmontese gianduiotto, while the dough follows the classic Veronese pandoro method. Dusted with icing sugar and cocoa powder to evoke Turin’s signature chocolate, Giandoro blends two northern traditions into an extraordinary work of pastry craft.
Pandoro Luigi Biasetto
One of the most classic choices on this list is Luigi Biasetto’s pandoro, crafted in the atelier of his eponymous pastry shop in Padua. It needs no innovative ingredients or creative techniques to make it a pastry masterpiece, perfect alongside morning coffee or tea. The butter in the dough makes this bake a concentrate of softness, while Tahitian vanilla lends it a spiced aroma that immediately evokes the festive season. The elegant red-and-gold Biasetto box makes this traditional Veronese cake a refined Christmas gift.
