Inside a 600-Year-Old Italian Bakery That’s Still Alive with Tradition | Antico Forno Santa Caterina

Step inside one of the oldest working bakeries in the world — Antico Forno Santa Caterina, established in 1391 in Altamura, Italy 🇮🇹

For over 600 years, this bakery has been making traditional breads, focaccia, and sweet pastries by hand, using ancient wood-fired ovens and age-old techniques passed down through generations.

Meet the incredible team behind the bread — This is not just a bakery. It’s living history, and a taste of southern Italy’s soul. 🥖✨

📍 Location: Antico Forno Santa Caterina, Altamura, Italy
🕐 Hours: 9:00 AM – 10:30 PM
📞 Phone: +39 080 567 7257
🌐http://fornosantacaterina.it

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#itarianfood #ItalianBakery #WoodFiredBread #trattoria #pizza #pasta

I started this job when I was 7 years old. You can change the subtitles to your language. It’s not like now, where we have plenty of everything. Before, there was nothing. We often went hungry. We bake all kinds of beautiful things. Don’t forget to favorite! In the heart of Altamura, where bread has been sacred for centuries, there’s a place where time stands still. At Antico Forno Santa Caterina, the art of baking is more than tradition—it’s devotion. This isn’t just bread. It’s culture, history, and soul—still alive in every bite. And if you ever visit southern Italy, this hidden gem is worth the journey. This is their legendary Altamura bread — to me, the best bread in Italy. They bake it from early morning, as shown in a previous video. we visited in the afternoon that day, so watch until the end to see how they joyfully bake focaccia and their breads as part of their rich, living tradition. I’ve been doing this job for 59 years. I started this job when I was 7 years old. My father went to Germany. He built a house here and there was no work here in Altamura. So he went to Germany to work. I was sad that my father went to Germany. So I started working at my uncle’s bakery. To make a living. At that time, I was 7 or 8 years old. I earned 100 lire a week. 100 lire!!(about 0.8 US dollars in 1970) Thank God, my uncle taught me this job. He was a master of sourdough. He was a great man. He knew how to work, he knew how to manage sourdough. Very important. I really enjoy it.I am so passionate about this job. I have always loved it. You make sacrifices, night and day, but it’s a very rewarding job. I did well. I never lacked anything. Then, I went to London four times to make panzerotti. Then I traveled through half of Italy to show the sourdough and how to make the bread of Altamura. natural Mother yeast Add salt to give elasticity to the dough. This sourdough starter will be used for tomorrow’s Altamura bread. I feed my sourdough starter every day by mixing it with fresh water and flour. Put it in this container and let it ferment at room temperature. And tonight, I’ll put it in the refrigerator to slow down the fermentation process. Wait.wait. good girl!! These bell peppers have been boiled. Otherwise, they will dry out in the oven. Boiling them will give better results. My name is Grazia. I am 88 years old. We were 12 children We always went to work, since we were little. In the countryside, we kneaded bread. We used to have a small oven in the countryside. We were always in the countryside because before there was the war. It’s not like now, where we have plenty of everything. Before, there was nothing. We often went hungry. We thank the Lord for all these good things, because before there was nothing. Now I’m making this beautiful focaccia. Let’s put these beautiful tomatoes on top. Let’s add a little oregano. A little salt. And the olive oil. We make beautiful focaccias and brioches. We make biscuits, bread, taralli… we make everything ourselves here. Made with love. See this beautiful focaccia? Excellent. And it’s authentic. You can eat everything, it’s good for you. Thank you from the heart. So, now we let it rest a little, and then we put it in the oven. This is pie dough. Mozzarella, prosciutto cotto, and pepper. This is prosciutto cotto. I add more mozzarella cheese on top. I add apricot jam and powdered sugar on top. this ancient oven is 6 meters deep, and the space covers 28 square meters. Take a look at these beautiful breads. We bake all kinds of beautiful things. Don’t forget to favorite! Panzerotti (Apulian fried pizza) Have you ever tried traditional Italian bread? What’s the most unforgettable bread you’ve ever eaten? Let us know!