{"id":1140720,"date":"2025-12-15T15:24:56","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T12:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1140720"},"modified":"2025-12-15T15:24:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T12:24:56","slug":"holidays-at-the-house-that-panettone-built","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1140720","title":{"rendered":"Holidays at the House That Panettone Built"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Food<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Holidays at the House That Panettone Built<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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By <\/span>Lisa Wong Macabasco<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Photo: Ey Studio<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Panettone in the US has somewhat of an unfortunate reputation. The traditional Italian sweet bread popular during Christmas and New Year is considered here a dry, rather stodgy baked good with tasteless specks of dried fruit. It\u2019s often sidestepped on the dessert spread\u2014or prone to endless regifting.<\/p>\n

But what it should<\/em> be is tall, fluffy, and dome-shaped, with a light, airy texture. Typically made with enriched dough (flour, eggs, butter, sugar), studded with raisins and candied orange and citron, and naturally leavened with sourdough starter, the taste is soft and buttery, with mild sweetness, citrus notes, and bursts of fruit.<\/p>\n

Olivieri 1882 does it properly\u2014and has impressed dubious Americans since it began shipping fresh panettoni Stateside from its base in Italy\u2019s northeastern Veneto region in 2020. (Italy has a rich tradition of Christmas desserts; each region has its own specialties, many centuries old and still tied to local ingredients and customs.) Brothers Nicola and Andrea Olivieri, now the fifth-generation scions of a baking dynasty that dates back 143 years, are well aware of the perception challenges facing panettone in the US. Andrea derisively calls industrial panettone\u2014which Americans are probably most familiar with\u2014\u201ca bread with raisins.\u201d Olivieri 1882\u2019s artisanal, small-batch panettone, by contrast, is crafted by hand over four days using natural sourdough and top-quality ingredients, without artificial aromas or additives.<\/p>\n

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Nicola Olivieri assembles a board of homemade sourdough bread, taralli (circular wheat-based crackers similar in texture to breadsticks) with pepper, and focaccia with tomato, while Oliviero Olivieri prepares sopressa, a Vicenza-specialty salami, atop polenta rounds. The bread is important for scarpetta\u2014sopping up any leftover sauce on the plate.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photo: Ey Studio<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Nothing is rushed, Andrea explains. \u201cThe dough rises multiple times, slowly and naturally, which creates an incredibly light, silky texture and a deep flavor that industrial panettoni simply don\u2019t have.\u201d And once you taste great panettone, Nicola promises, \u201cit\u2019s like drinking good wine\u2014you never go back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their parents, Oliviero Olivieri and Patrizia Scalzolaro, ran the bakery from 1980 until about 2015, when Nicola (who had been working at a bakery and surfing in Australia) and Andrea (then working for an American corporation in Milan) decided to take over. In Arzignano, an industrial town an hour west of Venice, they unveiled a shiny facility 10 times the size of the previous shop, with an airy, sprawling caf\u00e9 and retail space out front that entices with marvelous displays of baked goods.<\/p>\n

Nicola, the elder, is a tattooed marathoner who often posts about his trail runs through the surrounding hills (\u201cthe fit baker,\u201d teases Andrea, who oversees the business side while Nicola heads the baking day-to-day). He\u2019s learning Brazilian with an eye toward expanding the brand\u2019s presence in that country, now reportedly the world\u2019s largest producer and exporter of panettone. (Millions of Italians immigrated there around the turn of the 20th century; today, Brazilians eat panettone year-round.) Japan is another market on the radar; this year\u2019s offering includes a green tea, yuzu, and white chocolate panettone. (The German Christmas treat stollen, also a fruit bread, is popular in Japan, they point out.) As Nicola puts it, \u201cWe want to be ambassadors of panettone around the world.\u201d They deliver to 76 countries and counting.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re also not afraid to experiment, creating a rocky road version with marshmallows and others incorporating ingredients like mango, olive oil, and gin. Nicola stands by a ham-and-cheese sandwich made from panettone slices, and indeed, savory panettone will launch in the US next year; think a tomato base with anchovy bits or with parmesan added. \u201cWe like to break the rules,\u201d Andrea smiles. Relatives in New Jersey even tipped them off to panettone French toast. But Nicola clarifies that they would never stray too far. \u201cFor us, tradition is the foundation. The dough, the fermentation, the long rising times\u2014those never change. Creativity comes after, as an evolution of tradition, not a break from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The holidays are the busiest period by far, when they produce 200,000 panettoni between September and New Year\u2019s. Before that kicks into high gear, the Olivieris welcomed Vogue<\/em> into their home, high in the hills with a panoramic view of Arzignano, to show how they gather for a festive meal\u2014at a long table heaving with food and family.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The tablescape was created by Patrizia Scalzolaro, who often added her touch to the bakery\u2019s aesthetics and now oversees the home decor. An avid traveler, she takes inspiration from her far-flung journeys.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photo: Ey Studio<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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Andrea Olivieri enjoys an aperitivo moment in the kitchen with wife Francesca Parisi and baby Ludovica. One of the brothers\u2019 first moves upon taking the reins was to rebrand with a more eye-catching, contemporary style. Their fetching boxes are loosely modeled on shoulder bags, and they\u2019ve collaborated with major Italian fashion houses like Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, and Loro Piana, as well as Fortnum & Mason and Printemps. \u201cMade in Italy craftsmanship encompasses designer couture, leather goods, and luxury sports cars like Ferrari,\u201d Nicola says. \u201cWe approach our work the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Patrizia and Oliviero Olivieri toast with the Olivieris\u2019 drink of choice: Durello, a crisp, high-acidity Italian sparkling wine from the Lessini Mountains between Verona and Vicenza in the Veneto region. It\u2019s made from the native Durella grape, one of Italy\u2019s most acidic grapes, which gives it bright lemon and green apple flavors that refresh the palate. They also favor the rich dry red Amarone della Valpolicella and the dry white Soave, both local wines.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photo: Ey Studio<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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The tortellini, from Valeggio in nearby Verona, is smaller than others and made by hand with paper-thin egg pasta that makes them taste light and silky instead of chewy. The classic preparation \u201cin brodo\u201d (in a clear meat broth) highlights their delicateness. They\u2019re shaped like loose knots and are often called \u201cnodo d\u2019amore\u201d (love knot) because of a local legend about a forbidden love between a knight and a water nymph.<\/p>\n

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Growing up, the brothers used to see both sides of their family for a meal every weekend. Now their entire family gathers every few weeks, which they say is typical: Italian families are more geographically dispersed and smaller than in previous generations, with historically low birth rates.<\/p>\n

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Conversation at the table often centers on the business, despite attempts to keep meals free of work talk. \u201cWhat we do is more than a job\u2014it\u2019s a passion,\u201d Andrea notes. Other regular topics include the children\u2019s lives and everyone\u2019s frequent travels: Oliviero and Patrizia recently returned from Thailand, and Nicola and Andrea often visit food fairs.<\/p>\n

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After Nicola (next to his wife, Michela Miola) graduated from high school, Oliviero dissuaded him from joining the family business simply because it was the easy, default decision; he wanted his son first to understand how much work it takes and truly want to do it. Nicola eventually found his passion while working at a family-run bakery in Melbourne. Back at Olivieri 1882, he started as a dishwasher: \u201cNow I know all parts of the company because I\u2019ve done everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photo: Ey Studio<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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Edoardo, Andrea\u2019s son, samples the signature panettone. Nicola and Andrea say they take their roles as husbands and fathers as seriously as running the company, and they continue to strive to balance it all. \u201cWe give all we have, but one good thing about working with family is you can be really transparent and say, \u2018I need to rest and recharge,\u2019\u201d Andrea points out.<\/p>\n

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Making panettone is a high-stress endeavor, Nicola notes, as working with sourdough can be complex and demanding. \u201cIt\u2019s a living ingredient, whose behavior changes with humidity, temperature, and timing. We have a dedicated staff whose sole job is to carefully monitor the mother dough daily, 365 days a year.\u201d He completely changed the traditional recipe when he took over; many Italian bakeries have stopped making panettone altogether.<\/p>\n

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Pandoro is a tall, star-shaped, buttery golden cake hailing from nearby Verona. While it is also a traditional Italian Christmas treat, it doesn\u2019t contain fruit or raisins and is more of a cross between brioche and sponge cake. It\u2019s dusted with powdered sugar to resemble snow before serving and is a favorite with children. Pandoro is also famously difficult to make; Andrea calls it \u201cthe Everest of leavened products\u201d: \u201cIf you get one degree wrong, you throw it away. Most bakers can\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Since pandoro is plain, it\u2019s often eaten with chocolate cream, mascarpone, whipped or chantilly cream, or coffee or liqueur syrups. The Olivieris serve theirs here with zabaione, made by whipping together egg yolk, sugar, and sweet Marsala wine and slowly cooking over a bain-marie (or bagnomaria<\/em> in Italian).<\/p>\n

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As for the next generation of Olivieri 1882, well, it\u2019s too early to say. (Lorenzo, Nicola\u2019s son, is the eldest grandchild at 10 and has pitched in with production a few times.) The brothers grew up above the family bakery, but their children have a less immediate connection to the business. \u201cI would be happy if they are happy,\u201d Nicola offers, while Andrea adds, \u201cI would like them to continue the path, but the choice is theirs.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photo: Ey Studio<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

Source URL: http:\/\/vogue.com\/article\/olivieri-1882-panettone-family-dinner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Food Holidays at the House That Panettone Built By Lisa Wong Macabasco December 15, 2025 Photo: Ey Studio Panettone in the US has somewhat of an unfortunate reputation. The traditional Italian sweet bread popular during Christmas and New Year is considered here a dry, rather stodgy baked good with tasteless specks of dried fruit. It\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1140721,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-1140720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-vogue-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140720","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1140720"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140720\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1140721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1140720"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1140720"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1140720"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}