I recently found out that the origins of Panettone is Milan, Lombardy and so of course I had to find a way to either eat it or make it. I never liked Panettone growing up as we would always receive one or two for Christmas in a box stamped Bauducco or Ferrara. Unfortunately, these are not the greatest and I feel sorry for saying so, but until you have had the realist and truest of the Pannetone from the ones who craft it, you don't know the joy of eating it.Maybe you should book your trip to Lombardy. Now!
Columba is similar in flavor profile to Pannetone, but it's shaped like a dove for Easter, a sign of christianity. I guess I'm a sucker for chocolate, however the classic Pannetone or Columba is made with candied orange peel and almonds. And the bread tastes almost fermented- not like a sour dough- but like the sweetest fermentation has occured due to it's twelve plus hour production period. The bread alone without added chips or orange peel is just...different. Perhaps it reminds me of brioche (sort of) which slightly ferments as well, from hours of kneading, resting and rolling, cutting and proofing the sugar and yeast soaked bread. So many steps for these crazy delicious breads!
After proofing the dough over night- 7pm to 7am- it gets mixed again with the addition of dry fruit or chocolate. The dough is shaped, proofed, and glazed with icing made from almond flour, sugar, and milk, and atop goes chocolate or almonds and white sprinkles (the biggest I have seen). After baking it's important to flip the breads upside down so they don't collapse. When I first walked into the kitchen the breads were hanging like so, and I was excited to learn the what and why of the inverted breads.
Shelf life is great, lasting up to three months! The Columba are packaged in the cutest pink boxes at the pasticceria too, and as my mom always says baked goods should always come in pink boxes. They are such a satisfying way to end a meal on Easter Sunday. Tomorrow is the last day for production of Columba so I will soon learn how to make a cake traditional of Brescia that is sold after holidays. Stay tuned!