TEST KITCHEN

1 Panettone Peddlers

Mail-order options from these six producers restore panettone’s good name

PANETTONE IS A PECULIAR HOLIDAY TRADITION. Beloved by some, it’s written off by others for the grocery-store versions that are so often cloying and dense, and filled with artificially dyed fruits. And yet a properly made panettone can transcend its middling reputation. (See “Panettone Town,” p. 72.) While some of the best breads rarely leave their remote Italian villages, these six stellar producers have made their loaves available to an international audience. —Alex Testere

1 RUSTICHELLA D’ABRUZZO

Made by one of Italy’s best-regarded gourmet food brands, these hand-wrapped panettoni come in several different flavors, including the classic citrus and raisin, dried fig and chocolate, saffron and Sicilian orange, and black cherry. From $22; casa rustichellain.com

2 MANRESA

From California-based baker Avery Ruzicka, this naturally leavened panettone is filled with hazelnut praline or a chocolate babka to your basket.