There are certain dishes that are eaten only in Christmas and New Year. Preparations that, although they delight many, for some reason are especially focused on that time. The vitel toné, the Spanish type nougats and the sweet bread fall into this category. And although he Vitel Tone It is made at home and nougats are bought in the supermarket, there are as many versions of sweet bread as there are dedicated bakeries. With or without dried and polished fruits, more or less scented, with chocolate, dipped… The list goes on and contemplates all palates, in a search almost as old as Christmas itself.
the traditional
It is a recurring image every year: the queue that forms around the corner of Venezuela and San José, surrounding Plaza Mayor restaurant, defies even the highest temperatures of December. The image is often repeated in the news and the phrase most used to define the reason behind the wait is “there is no better”. This is how the fans who arrive, almost in procession, define it to buy what is already known as the most classic sweet bread in the city.
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This Spanish bodegón located in Monserrat opened its doors in 1982 and three years later gave life to its very famous pan dulce. “We wanted to offer draft cider as a drink for our public and what better way to do it than with sweet bread”, explains Federico Yahbes, general manager and son of the founder. But the story was reversed: people first fell in love with sweet bread and, for this reason, later came to try cider. The reason for your success in a country where so many do it? According to its owners, the key is to have followed the recipe from day one and follow it exactly the same after 37 years. “It was the sweet bread that our grandmother made us for the Holidays”, they describe. The generosity in its ingredients is also another strong point. And a piece of information for those who adore this brand but are reluctant to use the lines: it is sold all year round and can be frozen.
Another of the most praised sweet breads in the city is Artiaga, a bakery founded in 1931. Its preparation was born in the 80s, when the Spanish owners in charge sold their premises in La Boca to move to Saavedra and brought with them this recipe and other Italian products that their neighboring colleagues in the previous neighborhood had taught them. , full of immigrants from this country. One of the distinctive features is its work with certified organic ingredients, always starting from a noble raw material and taking care of the kneading, rolling, resting and fermentation times.
In addition to the classic dried fruit sweet bread, since 2016 they have also made an Italian panettone with sourdough. “We take care of the balance between the dough and the fruits, to enjoy the aromas and flavors of the work of the dough. We do not use flavorings, colorings or flavorings. We believe that it is not necessary,” says Juan Manuel Alfonso Rodríguez, the third generation of the family in charge. For him, homemade candied lemon and orange peel (a 7-day process), natural vanilla extract or the same chaucha in the case of panettone, vermouth and raisins soaked in rum for 24 hours is more than enough to give flavor naturally. Their innovations cannot be overlooked either: since 2009 they have been making filled sweet breads that include everything from dulce de leche and Mantecol to organic red fruit jam with chocolate. “And we are thinking of making chocottone, a panettone made from Belgian chocolate dough with a chocolate filling”, anticipates the owner.
In the plan of classic specialists, Rome It has been making traditional bakery and pastry products in Caballito for more than 100 years. Also with the third generation in charge, although in this case of Italians, they have just reopened their premises in order to modernize it while paying homage to their roots. Here they offer three great proposals: Pane, with breads, invoices and sweet and savory proposals; Dolci, with a pastry shop run by Fabio Mandia, and Cibo, with a take away food service. Although they also have festive options, where their sweet bread is inserted, for sale all year round and offered in a Genoese version, with drained and dried fruits, and special, with the same fruits but also molded and decorated with sugar, cherries, figs and kumquats. Both are offered in 500g presentations. or 1 kg.
the modern
Without so much history behind it but with extensive gourmet knowledge, there are also other places that have launched their own version of pan dulce with great success. It is the case of mada patisserie, which opened in Belgrano in 2015 under the slogan “we love sweets”, by chef Juliana Herrera Dappe, a specialist in high-quality pastry. Here Christmas products are offered to give away and share, such as its two variants of sweet bread: with walnuts, almonds, cashew nuts and raisins with a topping of crispy almonds; or with chocolate chips and handmade orange peels. They are offered in 1 kg., half or a quarter.
With stores in Villa Crespo and Devoto, Malvon It is another proposal that seduces with its sweet bread. His version respects the original recipe but adds the charm of being fermented for 48 hours, kneaded by hand and with the addition of nuts, Turkish figs and raisins. Another option keeps the same dough but adds dark chocolate, orange peels and almond glaze. Both come in half a kilo. As an extra, the venture also offers tins of Christmas cookies, Cherry Claus cake, Christmas Pie and bendegums, orange Christmas puddings, condensed milk and dried fruit. In all cases, they work without added essences or preservatives in search of respecting the natural flavor of each ingredient.
And of course, the queen of generosity could not be missing from this list. Pani, a chain of establishments renowned for its bomba cakes and its cheerful and colorful atmosphere, doubles the bet at Christmas with a sweet bread that is very faithful to its style: it is filled with walnut caramelized and dulce de leche and dipped in milk chocolate and caramelized nuts. It is delivered in a collectible tin, ideal as a gift, to which a sparkling wine can be added. This option must be ordered and is delivered from December 20 to January 6.
A little history
Legend has it that, on the eve of Christmas Eve, the cook of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan between 1494 and 1499, burned the dessert. And desperate before the night that was coming, he orchestrated an emergency plan kneading some of the raw material that they had separated to make the bread with sugar, butter and raisins. The result was a success, so much so that it was never missing from the Christmas table again and was baptized “pan dulce” in honor of its maker, Antonio or Toni. From there came the “pane di Toni” that led to “Panettone”.
But although their origin is a sister, “sweet bread” and “panettone” are not the same. While panettone has yolks, a long leavening period (about 24 hours) and is made with sourdough, sweet bread is made with yeast and a shorter preparation time, as well as whole eggs. It is also made with orange blossom water and many dried and polished fruits.
The most knowledgeable will also know of the existence of the “pandore”, a version of a typical sweet from the Verona area whose recipe dates back to the 13th century, when a sweet called “gold leaf” was prepared in Venice. Its name comes from the intense golden color of the bun, due to the fact that the egg and vanilla are its main ingredients. Unlike panettone, it is embossed and not filled with raisins, cream, or chocolate. In addition, it is sprinkled on top with impalpable sugar. According to the Italians, it is the most difficult to make, since the recipe must be impeccable to make it soft and fluffy.
Sweet bread, panettone or pandoro, who is ready to enjoy the sweetest face of the Holidays?
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