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There’s no shame indulging in holiday bread this time of year, especially when it’s studded with dried fruit and nuts and coated with a sugary crust. But why indulge in those mass-produced European sweets that are baked and packaged months ahead of the holiday season and travel via container ship, when you can snag one at a Peninsula bakery? (I’m looking at you, industrial panettone!)
Augustine Buonocore, who owns Redwood City’s La Biscotteria with his wife Angela, makes thousands of panettones every holiday season. Though Angela doesn’t hate the imported brands too much, she said, “They were baked months ago and it takes so long for them to arrive.” Speaking about their ingredients, she said, “You really need to read the ingredient list. Some brands use seed oil, which isn’t good. We use eggs and butter and bake them continuously. Fundamentally, you should eat foods that are as close to nature as possible.”
According to Smithsonian Magazine, the first panettone was produced in Milan in the 1500s and was a feast-day treat due to its coveted ingredients like white flour, eggs and butter. Today, Italy produces tons of panettone a year, and Italian brands must follow ingredient, production and packaging rules. Stollen, which originated in Germany, has a similar lineage, though first linked to religious fasting until a couple hundred years later, when leaders realized the oblong-shaped bread would taste better with a little butter and eggs.
And galette des rois, or king’s cake, pays homage to the epiphany and the three wise men. This frangipane-filled puff pastry treat celebrates the new year and is enjoyed in France throughout January. Some bakeries insert an edible or non-edible charm before baking; if you find it in your slice, you’re said to have good luck for the year.
The Peninsula has a plethora of bakeries that make sweet breads that celebrate the holiday season. We rounded up several that will keep your candied fruit and powdered sugar cravings satisfied while supporting your local bakery and reducing your carbon footprint.
Panettone
La Biscotteria in Redwood City is offering traditional Milanese panettone with liquor-soaked raisins and house-made candied fruit for the holidays. Courtesy La Biscotteria. Screenshot 
La Biscotteria in Redwood City is offering “Triple P” panettone, a 38-ounce leavened bread that is filled with pineapple, pear and papaya, for the holidays. Courtesy La Biscotteria. Screenshot 
The interior of La Biscotteria in Redwood City. Photo by Sophia Markoulakis.
La Biscotteria, Redwood City: The Buonocores offer three sizes of their traditional Milanese panettone with liquor-soaked raisins and housemade candied fruit along with their special “Triple P” panettone, a 38-ounce leavened bread that is filled with pineapple, pear and papaya. Order online and pick up in store to guarantee availability. Check their social media for other holiday treats such as panforte (fruitcake), torrone (nut nougat), stroufoli (honey balls) and cuccidati (Sicilian fig-stuffed cookies).
La Biscotteria, 2747 El Camino Real, Redwood City; 650-366-4888, Instagram: @labiscotteria1. Open Wednesday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Special holiday hours include Dec. 24 from 6 a.m. to noon; closed Christmas Day.
Manresa Bread, Campbell, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Palo Alto: Manresa will offer a housemade triple chocolate and candied orange panettone. Preorder for the best chance of availability here.
Manresa Bread, locations in Campbell, Los Gatos, Los Altos and Palo Alto; Instagram: @manresabread.
The Midwife and The Baker, Mountain View: Midwife’s popular panettone is filled with chocolate and hazelnuts and is similar to the East Bay brand From Roy but less expensive.
The Midwife and The Baker, 846 Independence Ave., Mountain View; 650-336-7697, Instagram: @themidwifeandthebaker. Open Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Little Sky Bakery, Menlo Park: Tian Mayimin will sell her wild-yeast panettone at her Menlo Park location and the several farmers market stands where she operates. It’s filled with golden raisins and dried cherries and has the classic sugary crackle top.
Little Sky Bakery, 506 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park; 609-906-1241, Instagram: @littleskybakery. Panettone available starting the week of Dec. 9. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Baker Next Door, Redwood City: The Midpeninsula bread pop-up turned storefront, The Baker Next Door, is baking and selling panettone. Co-owner Brian Clarke is excited to produce panettone again this year and said, “We’ll be leveaning our panettone with only sour dough like the Italians have done for hundreds of years. The wild yeast gives the finished bread a wonderful flora. It will include candied citrus peel, house made from our own fruit and currants.”
The Baker Next Door, 851 Main St., Redwood City; Instagram: @thebakernextdoor_rwc. Panettone available on Dec. 9. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Stollen
Backhaus, Burlingame and San Mateo: German native Ann Moser first started baking bread almost 10 years ago out of Burlingame’s KitchenTown. Her intention wasn’t to open a German bakery, but to open a bakery with German influences. Every holiday she makes a traditional stollen with raisins and candied fruit to honor her heritage. Mini stollen nuggets will also be available.
Backhaus, 261 California Drive, Burlingame and 32 Third Ave., San Mateo; 650-200-9493, Instagram: @backhausbread. Open Tuesday through Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ludwigs Biergarten, Mountain View: After you’ve enjoyed your Bavarian dumplings and washed them down with a fresh hefeweizen, have a slice of housemade stollen (or a few gingerbread-like lebkuchen cookies). Mulled wine, glühwein, is also available.
Ludwigs Biergarten, 383 Castro St., Mountain View; 609-282-5342, Instagram: @ludwigsmv. Open Tuesday to Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Croissante, Santa Clara: All flours are not alike according to Croissante owner Sean Kang. “Panettone flour is a high-protein flour that we import from Italy,” he said. Croissante’s version is filled with raisins and candied orange and lemon and topped with an almond glaze. His stollen is made with foricher flour, imported from France, and is filled with liqueur-soaked dried fruits and housemade marzipan.
Croissante, 2908 El Camino Real, #100, Santa Clara; 408-564-5092, Instagram: @croissante_bakery. Open Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Babka and challah
Krembo Baked Goods, San Mateo: Krembo, located within the Chabad North Peninsula, will offer chocolate babka, challah (wheat and gluten-free) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts). All baked goods are kosher (Vaad certified) and non-dairy. Head to their website to preorder before Hanukkah, which starts at sundown on Dec. 25.
Krembo Baked Goods, 650-980-1989. Contact them for pick up address. Open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Woodside Bakery & Cafe, Menlo Park: This old-school European bakery in the Sharon Heights Shopping Center takes creative license with challah. Besides the traditional plain version, the bakery offers raisin, sesame, poppyseed and frosted varieties, all in a round shape.
Woodside Bakery & Cafe, 325 Sharon Park Drive, Menlo Park; 650-854-6207, Instagram: @thewoodsidebakery. Open Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Galette des rois
Maison Alyzée, Burlingame and Mountain View: Laurent Pellet and his team will offer two versions of galette des rois: a traditional one with frangipane cream and a hazelnut version with hazelnut-lemon confit frangipane cream topped with crushed hazelnuts. These will be available starting Dec. 26 and available through the end of January.
Maison Alyzée, 212 Castro St., Mountain View, 650-960-1212; 1208 Burlingame Ave., Burlingame, 650-425-7294, Instagram: @maisonalyzee. Mountain View open Monday 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m, Tuesday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Burlingame open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Croissante, Santa Clara: Croissante’s galette des rois will roll out on New Year’s and be available through January 2025. Look for the traditional and possibly a new flavor akin to last year’s which incorporated mandarin orange.
Croissante, 2908 El Camino Real, #100, Santa Clara; 408-564-5092, Instagram: @croissante_bakery. Open Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Maison Alyzée will begin offering galette des rois on Dec. 26.
Missed one! GK Pastry in Safeway center on Miramonte. Sourdough is to die for, and yummy selection of great pastries.