Ang Bo Ling Takes Malaysian Panettone to the World Stage

Most competitors guard their final recipes closely, treating them as trade secrets until results are announced. Ang Bo Ling, baker-owner of Twenty-Two Bakery in Bandar Sri Damansara, is doing the opposite. Fresh from winning the Traditional Category at the inaugural Asia Selection of the Panettone World Cup in Singapore last July, he has spent months refining his recipe for the grand final in Milan this November, and he is inviting the public to taste, experience, and share in the journey before he boards the plane. Through nearly 100 test batches, methodical adjustments, and a willingness to learn from the ground up, Ang is turning this into more than a competition; he is introducing Malaysia to the true potential of panettone.

A Methodical Approach, Forged in Coffee

Ang’s background in specialty coffee shapes every step of his work. When he and his wife Yee Teng opened Twenty-Two Bakery in 2018, they built the business entirely around sourdough, approaching fermentation and flavour with the same precision used to profile beans and brew espresso. Panettone presented a new, complex challenge, one with dozens of interacting variables: flour type, hydration levels, butter quality, fruit selection, fermentation duration, ambient temperature, and timing. “With panettone, there are so many variables,” he explains. “So I approached this one parameter at a time, trying to understand the effect of each change before moving on.” Where his Singapore-winning recipe took roughly ten batches to perfect, the Milan version has taken nearly ten times that, almost 100 iterations as every element was tested, measured, and refined.

New Ingredients, Fresh Learning

A major shift came when competition organisers specified designated brands for key ingredients, including flour from renowned Italian mill Dallagiovanna, butter, candied fruit, and even the paper cases the loaves rise in. This meant moving away from the bread flour he knew well and learning the distinct personality of premium panettone flour. It was a challenge, but also an opportunity: the new recipe targets three clear goals meeting international competition standards, extending shelf life, and ensuring flavours unfold beautifully with every bite. Even Malaysia’s climate plays a positive role: consistent, warm temperatures provide a remarkably stable environment for natural fermentation research, a luxury bakers in more seasonal climates often lack.

Malaysian Tastes, Global Ambition

Ang’s perspective as a baker raised and based in Malaysia is not a limitation; it is a distinct strength. “Growing up in Malaysia has definitely shaped how I taste and what I look for in food,” he says. “I tend to enjoy flavours that have a clear and immediate presence something you can recognise from the first bite.” He knows panettone is not yet deeply embedded in local festive traditions, and he sees that as a chance to shape how Malaysians experience it. Many people here know only mass-produced or imported versions; his goal is to show what a properly made panettone airy, fragrant, rich but not heavy, can truly be.

You Be the Judge: Public Tastings in October

That is why he is opening his process to everyone. Three Panettone Tasting Sessions will be held at Twenty-Two Bakery:

• October 10 at 11 a.m.

• October 16 at 3 p.m.

• October 24 at 11 a.m.

Each one-hour session costs RM25 and includes two slices of the competition loaf, a guided walkthrough of aroma, crumb, texture, and flavour, and, most importantly the chance to share honest feedback before he departs for Italy. “It shouldn’t be a journey that only I experience,” Ang says. “I want more people to be part of this.” Seats are limited, and registration is open via the bakery website.

A Malaysian Moment in Milan

When he flies to Italy, Ang will carry more than a loaf of bread he carries the attention of a growing community. His ambition is simple and profound: “The panettone has to taste good.” If he succeeds, he does not just win a contest; he puts Malaysian baking on the global map. And whether he brings home a trophy or not, he has already given Malaysians something equally valuable: the chance to taste world-class panettone right here at home.