Tommaso Cannata

Credits Brambilla-Serrani

Credits Brambilla-Serrani

La Boutique del Pane

via XXVII Luglio, 83
98123 Messina
+39 090 640 9130

According to the Sicilian creed, it must be “Devotamente col tuppo”, that is to say it must have a lid. Even when it’s made in Milan. Indeed, the brioches made by Tommaso Cannata – patron of Boutique del Pane in Messina – follow the island’s tradition arriving with all their round character at the Sicilian Bakery in Corso Indipendenza. A bakery – with café and open-view lab – with deep roots in tradition but looking well ahead.

Tommasois the same, in a way: born in Messina in 1964, a baker son of bakers, he felt Messina was too small for him. Hence, he decided to leave and start a project and an adventure that despite being over 1000 km away from his homeland, is productive. «In Milan I wanted to send a strong message. I wanted to show that people work hard and well in Sicily, they know how to create high quality», he says, proud of having named his shop in Milan with his surname, Cannata Sicilian Bakery (tel. +39 02 7380400), «because we work in the frontline», he says, with the support of his wife Nicoletta and their children Chiara andSalvatore. The latter is also known as Turi, like the mother yeast he always takes with him.

Tommasois stubborn and determined even in pursuing his crusade in favour of avoiding waste, of giving value and communicating ancient Sicilian varieties of wheat. True, authentic, local wheat. They’re shown on the walls of the shop. They’re a present of Paolo Caruso, a researcher from the University of Catania. It was Cannatahimself who put them on the wall: he’s a member of the Chic - Charming Italian Chef association, and of Petra Selected Partners.

After all, the master makes his brioche col tuppo with Petra Bio 1010 (from 100% Italian wheat) and Petra Evolutiva, the emblem of diversity. It’s the result of a mix of wheat varieties organically grown in Sicily, born from the fertile meeting of millers Quaglia and Simenza, the Sicilian cumpagnìa of farmers’ seeds – with president Giuseppe Li Rosi – of which Cannata is one of the founders.

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by

Cristina Viggè

from Lombardy, she graduated in Literature and started working as a journalist. Then she changed direction, towards travels, food and wine. She now directs Fuori Magazine, the new editorial project of Petra-Molino Quaglia