Everyone’s got a food they look forward to at this time of year, one that really evokes the flavours of the season, be it a pig in a blanket, mince pie or a good old Brussels sprout. But if you take it back to basics, most cultures still celebrate with a loaf of bread.

These are our top picks for next year’s inevitable mission in search of the perfect festive crumb:

Panettone - Italy

It’s the light, airy Italian bread we can’t help but love. And as is the way with beloved things, everyone’s Nonna has a different story about where it came from and who’s responsible. One common thread among all the stories is that the humble panettone was probably named after someone called Toni, hence Pan di Toni, or Toni’s bread.

One tale claims it was a baker’s attempt to win the heart of a beautiful mystery woman who passed his store each day. Another story actually has the baker as a rich man named Ughetto, who invented the loaf for the poor town baker, Toni. Ughetto wanted Toni and his family to become rich so that he could marry the daughter, Adalgisa, without it being frowned upon.

There are countless takes on the sweet encounter, but nobody really knows if any of them are true. What we do know is that yeast, butter, eggs and other ingredients were pretty pricy in 15th century Milan and saved only for special occasions. One such celebration was Christmas, when three loaves were baked to symbolise the holy trinity. Although that tradition died out over time, the mighty panettone managed to keep its place at the Christmas table (and in our bellies).

The traditional recipe with raisins, almonds and candied orange peel should offer a decent challenge to anyone whose sourdough skills have been languishing since the world reopened. But for something suited to everyone’s taste buds, Verona’s pan d’oro is a similar, vanilla-based loaf, and chocolate chip versions are now commonplace as well.

Potica - Slovenia (and most of Eastern Europe)

Just over the border from Italy, Slovenia has its own take on a tasty festive treat that’ll leave you questioning the difference between a bread and a cake.

Potica consists of thin layers of brioche or sourdough folded around different seasonal fillings, usually made as a ring loaf in a Bundt cake tin. A traditional sweet filling usually contains walnuts, honey and cinnamon, while savoury versions tend to involve cheese and tarragon, though really it’s up to each family what they stuff inside. Cue hours of bickering over a hot stove!

The nice thing about this loaf is that it doesn’t just appear once per year. Christmas is the main outing, but really any excuse will do - Easter, weddings, family celebrations. It’s also not unique to Slovenia - most Eastern European countries serve up their own version of the nut roll, so you might occasionally notice a rogue raisin, splash of rum or concertina-shaped dough sneaking in.

Breads with hidden depths - around the world

You might have heard of Three Kings’ Day, which celebrates Epiphany on 6th January. In many Spanish-speaking countries, this is the day when families gather, exchange gifts and have a feast - complete with the traditional roscón de reyes.

It’s a sweet bread similar to brioche, baked into the shape of a giant donut and topped with green and red candied fruit, symbolising a bejewelled crown. We’ve not eaten many crowns, but this one sure sounds good so far.

The real excitement here is knowing that with any bite, a little ceramic baby Jesus could send you off to the dentist. A figurine is baked into the bread, and whoever finds it in their slice is said to have good luck for the year ahead. In Mexico, it is known as the rosca de reyes, and the lucky winner there gets the honor of hosting a Candelaria Day party (Candlemas in English) on February 2.

Surprisingly, the tradition of baking a choking hazard into your festive loaf goes beyond the Spanish-speaking world. In Bulgaria, a coin is baked into the honey-glazed koledna pitka for prosperity, though it’s pretty common to replace it with a pecan and avoid sharing myriad cash-dwelling germs with the family.

Serbia follows suit with its ceremonial loaf, the česnica, which is usually eaten during Orthodox Christmas celebrations in January. There’s more to this one than just the coin tucked away inside, though - rituals include (but are by no means limited to) rotating the loaf anticlockwise three times at the beginning of the Christmas meal, collecting water for the dough before sunrise from a spring or well, and cutting notches in the surface to divine the success of different crops in the year ahead.

In Greece, the fun is saved for New Year and Saint Basil’s Day. The sweet, orange-zesty vasilopita is cut into at midnight and served to each member of the family in order of age. Only once everyone has been given a slice are you allowed to look and see if you got the coin, and with it the luck for the year. Honestly, that’s a kind of patience we just don’t have.

Challah - Israel and beyond

Challah is eaten throughout the year as part of Jewish ceremonial meals, but it’s considered a staple at any Hanukkah feast.

The loaf has layers of religious symbolism, but the most essential ritual here is for bakers to set aside a portion of the dough and give it as an offering to a kohen (Jewish priest). These days, it’s generally acceptable to burn the portion that’s set aside, or even dispose of it in a double-wrapped container.

Challah bread is most commonly a braided, egg-washed loaf sprinkled with sesame seeds. But despite all the tradition, it can actually be any shape, meaning there are plenty of festive variations to be found - the menorah challah seems especially fitting for this time of year.

So, how did we do? Let us know on [email protected] what your favorite celebratory food is and where it comes from. Pictures welcome!