How to Cut Panettone

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 12, 2022 References Tested

Panettone is a traditional Italian sweet bread that is most commonly served during Christmas and New Year festivities. It is a tasty treat that you can eat on its own as a snack, perhaps with coffee, or after a meal as a dessert. You can even doctor it up with sweet creams or pair it with sweet wine to make it even more special and delicious. To cut a round panettone loaf into slices, all you need is a serrated knife.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Slicing Panettone

1
Heat the panettone up in the microwave or oven if you want to eat it warm. Remove the outer packaging of the panettone, leaving it in the paper molding that is stuck to the loaf. Microwave it for 1 minute or place it in an oven at 40 °C (104 °F) for about 30 minutes to warm it up.^{[1]
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- Panettone typically comes in a box or a plastic bag or paper wrapping tied shut with a ribbon. This is the outer packaging to remove before warming up the loaf.
2
Remove all the wrapping from the loaf of panettone before cutting it. Take the panettone out of the box, plastic bag, or paper packaging that it comes in. Tear and peel off the paper and cardboard mold from the sides and bottom of the loaf.^{[2]
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- You can leave the wrapping on while you cut the loaf if you only want to eat part of it. Just cut right through the paper, then peel it off of each individual slice before serving.
Tip: If it is difficult to peel off the bottom of the mold without any panettone sticking to it, you can carefully slide a sharp knife between the bottom of the bread and the piece of paper or cardboard to separate them cleanly.

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3
Plunge a long serrated knife into the middle of the loaf at a 45-degree angle. Set the loaf on a cutting board or serving platter and grab a long serrated knife, such as a standard bread knife, in one of your hands. Place the tip of the knife on top of the loaf in the center, then stab it in at about 45 degrees to start slicing into the loaf.^{[3]
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- You can use a large carving fork in your other hand if you want to stabilize the loaf while you cut it.
4
Slice straight down through the panettone all the way to the bottom. Move the serrated knife back and forth in a sawing motion while you press it down towards the bottom of the loaf. Stop when you reach the cutting board.^{[4]
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- Try not to let the tip of the knife go past the center point of the panettone at any point. This will make it easier to portion the bread out evenly.
5
Cut the loaf into triangular portions of the desired size. Turn the loaf of panettone so that you can make another cut to the side of the first cut you made. Plunge the tip of the knife into the center of the loaf, then slice all the way down to the cutting board to separate a piece of panettone from the loaf. Repeat this process to cut the desired number of servings.^{[5]
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- The number of pieces you cut from your loaf of panettone naturally depends on how many people you are serving and how big you want the portions to be. However, 8-12 pieces is generally a good number to aim for.
6
Cut leftover panettone slices in half horizontally to make French Toast. Lay leftover panettone slices down flat on a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut them down the middle horizontally into strips.^{[6]
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- Panettone French toast is a traditional way to use up leftover panettone the morning after a holiday party. You can make it just like regular French toast and add any variations or toppings that you like, such as berries and whipped cream.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Serving Panettone

1
Plate panettone on its own for the most traditional way to serve it. Lay a portion of panettone flat on its side on a small ceramic plate. Serve the panettone just like this as a snack or a dessert after dinner.^{[7]
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2
Serve panettone with a sweet cream if you want to make the treat richer. Add a mascarpone, which is an Italian cheese-based cream, on top of the slices of panettone for a traditional option. Try an English cream or any other dessert cream or sauce that you like to find the perfect pairing for your tastes.^{[8]
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- You can add some toppings like fresh berries on top of the cream if you want to brighten up the plates and add even more flavor.
3
Pair panettone with a sparkling wine like Moscato. Serve portions of panettone along with a champagne flute or wine glass of sparkling wine. Italian Moscato is the most traditional pairing, but feel free to try it with any other sparkling wine you like.^{[9]
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- You could also try panettone with a fortified wine like Port wine or Marsala wine, which are traditional dessert wines.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Storing Leftover Panettone

1
Wrap leftover panettone tightly in cling wrap. Cover cut loaves and leftover pieces of panettone with plastic wrap. Stick it tightly to all the cut surfaces so they don’t come into contact with any air.^{[10]
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- Panettone will dry out quickly if you don’t wrap the leftover pieces.
2
Store wrapped panettone at room temperature. Place your leftover panettone on your kitchen counter, kitchen table, or dining table. Make sure the place you store it stays at room temperature and isn’t near a heat source like an oven.^{[11]
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3
Keep leftover panettone for up to 7 days. It will keep for a week or so as long as you wrapped it tightly. It will dry out after that.^{[12]
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- Remember that you can still use dried-out panettone to make delicious French toast!