French Toast al Panettone

Italians do not waste bread. This has always been true. When the great domed panettone of Christmas morning sits on the counter a day or two later, slightly dry and losing its soft crumb, you do not throw it away. You transform it.

This is not an Italian recipe in the classical sense. The French claim pain perdu, the Romans made something similar two thousand years ago, and Americans have turned French toast into a vehicle for syrup and whipped cream. What I offer you here is restraint. The panettone is already sweet, already studded with candied orange and citron, already perfumed with butter. It needs only a simple custard and proper technique.

The egg mixture is barely sweetened. The milk is whole, not cream. You soak briefly because the bread is delicate, not dense like brioche. You cook in butter over moderate heat, allowing the sugars in the fruit to caramelize against the pan. The result is a breakfast that honors the panettone itself rather than burying it under nonsense.

What you serve with it matters. A dusting of powdered sugar, perhaps. A spoonful of mascarpone if you must. Never maple syrup, which obliterates everything it touches. The candied fruit provides all the sweetness you need.