Until a few centuries ago in Italy it was tradition that bread was cooked in a public oven that used to be installed on squares in villages and cities. Especially early in the morning, the streets were filled with the smell of fresh bread. When the modern bakeries were introduced both the production process as well as the delicious perfumes of freshly baked bread, disappeared from the streets.
In Milan, an innovative city that is open to new initiatives, recently a bakery opened in which they return to habits of a few centuries ago. In a contemporary way, of course.
Forno Collettivo
Via Lecco 15 | Milano
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Monday – Saturday | 8 – 15 / 18.30 – 24
Sunday | 8 – 15
Price| Coffee 1€, cappuccino, croissant 1,20€, croissant filled 1,50/1.80€, piece of babka 3,50€, bread ‘S41’ 6€ (800gr), bread ‘discovery’ 6€ (600gr)
Poor and rich
The days in which bread was food for the poor are behind us. At least in Milan, where it becomes ever more easy to find high-quality bread (often sourdough) and logically with a higher price, not accessible to everyone. There are Milanese (also wealthy ones) that don’t believe that this bread is worth its higher price, others go crazy for it. I believe I am in the second group: if the bread is really good, I don’t mind paying a bit more for it.
Bread with a star
In the Forno Collettivo (which translates into ‘shared oven’) one makes bread with a star. “Really?”. “Yes! Or at least, something like that.” Because the head baker (as baker Carol Choi is called in the Italian media) worked amongst others for Noma, the famous restaurant in Copenhagen that long was the best restaurant in the world. As soon as Choi decided to move to Milan, she was contacted by the founders of The Botanical Club who asked her to become the head baker of this bakery in Via Lecco.
The mother
Besides the two kinds of bread made with high quality cereals and sourdough, they also make brioche. Or better, croissant, because the butter doesn’t lack. Maybe not everyone likes this (Italians aren’t that kind on butter, they prefer (olive) oil) but honestly I believe a croissant is a real delicacy. Perfect for a long Sunday morning breakfast, when you have the time to enjoy it. To the real sweet tooth I suggest the bakba, a sweet bread from the Jewish culture filled with chocolate. It is relatively more expensive that a croissant, but worth a try.
The public oven of Milan
I haven’t yet explained the name yet, apart from the translation from Italian into English. Like all the bakeries, also this one has a door that closes after working hours. However, the idea is that from this autumn (2018) two times a week one can bring your own bread dough and cook it here in this ‘public oven’ or ‘forno collettivo’.
All images © 2018 Inge de Boer
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