Panettone Dessert Pizza

Panettone (if done right) is not only delicious, it’s a “world-famous, yeast-leavened cake, whose sales reach their peak during the weeks before Christmas.” Unfortunately, store-bought versions of this traditional Italian holiday bread tend to be dry, pricey and full of preservatives. A fresh panettone should be like a rich and fluffy brioche studded with nuts, dried fruit and sometimes chocolate, a delicious addition to any holiday table. 

Panettone has been a Milan specialty since the 19th century, and here, Milan-based and award-winning chef Lorenzo Sirabella merges the classic dessert with another Italian staple: pizza. It can take up to two days to make panettone, a process that involves hanging it upside-down after baking to prevent collapsing. Lorenzo’s recipe is far less complicated and uses plenty of eggs for an extra soft and fluffy crust, plus classic ingredients like vanilla, grated orange and lemon, sugar, butter and raisins. The icing on this pizza cake is made of almond flour and sugar, with a final sprinkling of slivered or whole almonds, adding a hint of nuttiness to balance out the citrus. Lovely for any gathering, this panettone dessert pizza also works well for a sweet brunch the next day. 

Difficulty

Servings

Three 320-gram panettone pizzas

Prep Time

40 minutes

(excluding dough prep and proof time)
Cook Time

20 minutes

By Lorenzo Sirabella

Panettone Dessert Pizza

Note

This recipe takes a bit of time; be sure to set aside about 5 hours to prep and proof the dough before cooking. If using a vanilla bean, cut the pod in half lengthwise, then use the back of a knife to scrape out the brown flecks inside. While optional, you can also add whipped cream and custard to the top of the pizza panettone as an extra touch for visual appeal.

Two hands placing almonds on top of an uncooked pizza panettone on a lightly floured surface. Cooked pizza panettone on an Ooni Pizza Turning Peel coming out of an Ooni Koda 12 on top of an Ooni Modular Table.

Lorenzo Sirabella

Lorenzo Sirabella (@lorenzosirabella) is a Neapolitan pizza chef based in Milan, Italy. Since 2018, he’s worked at Dry Milano, a pioneering venue for pizza and cocktail pairings. He’s received many awards, including making the list of Italy’s Top 50 Pizza in 2022 and 2020 and the Pastry in Pizzeria Olitalia Award.