Beyond myths, beyond legends, there is an official history of panettone. It is the one that Pietro Verri, writer, philosopher and historian, tells in the volume “Storia di Milano”, published between 1782 and 1799. In it, the writer reports the ancient custom in vogue in Milan on the occasion of Christmas. During the festivities, in fact, it was typical for families in Milan to put a wooden log to fire, adorned with leaves and apples, and wet with wine and juniper. Around the hearth, the family used to break wheat loaves, a precious food for the time. A tradition that seems to have been in vogue at least until the 15th century, when Duke Galeazzo Maria Sforza recalled it. It is perhaps from this tradition, the tradition of the great breads, that the panettone originates. The tradition of consuming a special bread on the occasion of Christmas, however, is also supported by a decision of the Milan Corporations, which, starting in 1395, imposed on all Milan’s bakeries, with the exception of the bakery of the Prestino dei Rosti, reserved for the wealthier classes, to prepare wheat bread. A way to break down, at least at Christmas, the differences between the classes of the population. This special bread, in dialect, began to be called “Pan de Sciori” or, also, “Pan de Ton” and was enriched with butter, sugar and sultanas.